Left Arm

[imtnorm]

I am a 59 year old fairly active male. Active Referee of High School football for 38 years, restore classic cars as hobby, own and operate a professional consulting & network installation company, have the daily stress that comes with 40 employees. Wake up at 4:30am, in office by 6:30am, brain dead by 3:30pm and asleep by 9:00pm. Much stress, no vacations.

Medical:
Have borderline diabetes, controlled with diet & 1 mg Amaryl(1X)

Have A Fib, controlled with .125 mg Lanoxin (1X), 50 mg Toprol (1x) and 225mg Rythmol (3X)

Reflux, controlled with 30mg Prevacid (1X)

Just completed Cardiac Cath for chest pain and everything okay.

ER DR. diagnosed pain as pinched nerve sinced I was having tingling to the fingers of left hand.

MRI showed the following:
1) At C3-4 there is a moderate canal stenosis and neural foraminal stenosis, left side slightly more than right with disc bulge and degenerative changes.

2) At C4-5 there is a mild left neural foraminal stenosis with facet arthritis evident.

3) At C5-6 there is a moderate sized central and left paracentral focal disc protrusion as well as facet arthritis.

4) At C6-7 there is a non-stenotic eccentric right paramedian disc protrusion.

My Neurosurgeon, after reviewing the above report and MRI films and neck xrays, stated he couldn't see anything that would cause the pain from my neck to under my left arm and the numbness at the left elbow and tingling down to all fingers of my left hand. If anything the pain should be down the right side.

He injected cordisone into the muscle under the left shoulder and removed the pain in my back but now the tingling in my left arm to fingers is constant. Currently on a medpak of Methylprednisolone to run out in a week.  

Please help.......

[Coco37]

A related discussion, pain in both shoulders and hand tingling in left hand was started.

[mona1962]

A related discussion, Please pass on some advice was started.

[Zia]

I have a nubness in the ring finger of my right hand since last 4 months. All the X-ray etc have confirmed that it is not due to spondulytes. Th nubness is there 24 hours a day. Off late I have started feeling a tingling sensation just at the joint of the ring finger and the palm. Also a blue vein has became prominent on the top of the finger.

I am a left handed person. However I write wih right hand. I have got 8-10 hours of working and it is mostly either typing on the PC or desk oriesnted job.

May I request any one who can guid me in this suffering of mine

Regards

Ziaul- Hussain

[Zia]

I have a nubness in the ring finger of my right hand since last 4 months. All the X-ray etc have confirmed that it is not due to spondulytes. Th nubness is there 24 hours a day. Off late I have started feeling a tingling sensation just at the joint of the ring finger and the palm. Also a blue vein has became prominent on the top of the finger.

I am a left handed person. However I write wih right hand. I have got 8-10 hours of working and it is mostly either typing on the PC or desk oriesnted job.

May I request any one who can guid me in this suffering of mine

Regards

Ziaul- Hussain

[dodop]

Well, I'm not a doctor, but I have had pinched nerves.  They really, really hurt, so you have my sympathies. The things that help me are: ice, muscle relaxants, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, Motrin or Advil, ice, gentle stretching exercises, ice, acupuncture, and did I mention ICE? Be patient--it takes time to fix this kind of a problem.

[candle]

Were any of you involved in sports in high school or college- I was wondering due to the problem my husband faces- He is 24 and has leg and sometimes hand numbness- He played football and basketball and had a few major injuries- When he goes to bed at night his legs tingle and go numb- I think it is due to the sports but we can't seem to find anything that helps- It is very aggrivating for both of us, but especialy him. They also jump and twitch at night- and sometimes he can change positions to feel better- but not lately!
Curious-
Thanks!

[imtnorm]

Left Arm & Hand Tingling corrected: After an EMG we found I had two pinched nerves. One in the neck which is causing the pain from neck under left arm to chest. The second was the Ulnar nerve(funny bone) in left elbow which caused the tingling in left arm to ring finger & pinky of left hand. Had transposition surgery yesterday which relocated the Ulnar nerve from under the elbow to the forearm relieving pressure on the nerve with instant relief. Thanx for all your help.......IMTNORM.

[doctorsdream]

I'M HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY LEFT ARM, HAND AND FINGERS TINGLING AND NUMBNESS. I'VE HAD  THREE SURGERY'S ON MY NECK. ONE AT 15 YEARS OLD DUE TO A CAR ACCIDENT. HAD CERVICAL FUSION C-3 THROUGH C-5. THEN ANOTHER TO REMOVE A BONE SPUR AND YET ANOTHER TWO REMOVE A DISC AND FUSE C-6 C-7. I WORK IN A NURSING HOME AS A NURSES AIDE AND HAVE NOW ANOTHER INJURY. THE MRI SHOWED AN ANTERIOR BULDGING AT C-7 T-1. I SAW MY DR. ON THE 15TH OF JUNE AND HE SET UP THE MRI FOR THE 22ND OF JUNE, RELEASED ME TO RETURN TO WORK ON THE 26TH OF JUNE AND WENT ON VACATION. HE WON'T BE BACK TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THE MRI AND SEE ME AGAIN UNTIL THE 3RD OF JULY. I'M TAKING RELAFEN AND VICODIN STEADY TO HELP WITH THE PAIN AND DISCOMFORT. MY QUESTION IS , IS IT SAFE TO RETURN TO WORK WITH OUT FIRST SEEING A DR. I'M AFRAID I'LL DO MORE DAMAGE.

[ginny]

I suggest that you have a physiotherapist/physical therapist check wether you have any myofascial trigger points in your cervical and shoulder muscles.  The scalene muscles, triceps, teres minor and infraspinatus can sometimes be the source of referred pains and tingles down the arm and to the fingers( as opposed to direct nerve compression of joint dysfunctions of the cervical spine).  They can be treated usually very effictively with trigger point therapy which can include dry needling with acupuncture needles or even with a very specifically applied massage to these muscles.
I would avoid and serious manipulation of your neck due to the canal and foraminal stenosis and the disc protrusion.  It is promising that your pain responded in some way to the injection. It may be that other muscles need treating also. The chest pain can also can be a part of the myofascial syndrome and be helped by doing myofascial releases on the pectoral group of muscles.  I see many problems such as yours in my physiotherapy practice and it is quite common  with ex football players and also people who sit in front of computers a lot.  

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-RPS]

Dear Imtnorm:

Sorry to hear about your symptoms.  Without seeing the films it is difficult to make a comment.  I would suggest seeing a neurologist and get an EMG.  This would help detect specific nerve damage and give you a good picture of what is going on.  Furthermore, a good neurological exam would help identify possible nerves involved in your numbness.  I am also not sure what to make of the steriod.  Injection into  a specific area is usually performed to reduce inflammation.  Systemic steriods are usually for systemic diseases that are wide spread.  So, I will assume that the medpak hasn't done much to your numbness.   So, I would see a neurologist, get an exam and see if an EMG will help matters.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD