Shooting pain in arm

[Debra Daniel]

I have suffered for months now with severe pain in my left arm.  I have lost some strenth in the arm and find that it is impossible to place my left arm behind my back.  The pain is a shooting pain that is so intense I am having difficulty bathing and reaching my seat belt.  It has now gotten to the point that it is difficult to sleep for the pain.  Before, it hurt only when I moved in certain ways, but now it hurts most the time.  The pain is most intense at the lower part of my upper arm, just a few inches above the elbow.  It feels like the muscle is actually pulling from the bone.  When I reach for something, or move in a certain way, the pain shoots down my arm and then begins to wane off.  Yet, I am now left with slightly less intense pain the remainder of the time.

I have had shots of steriods in my shoulder, xrays of shoulder and neck, and an MRI of the neck to see if there is a pinched nerve or disk out of place.  All are OK.  I have also been on a round of anit-inflamatory with no difference in the pain.  When the PCP did a reflex test on my arms at the inner part at the elbow, the right arm did jump, but my left one did not move.

He is sending me to a neurologist to see if there is nerve damage.  Does this sound like nerve damage?  How does one get nerve damage without some type of major injury.  I do not recall having an injury. Also, what is done to help with nerve damage.

Thanks.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Debra:

Sorry to hear about your problem.  It sounds like you have something in your brachioplexus area.  It might be that you have something called Parsonage-Turner syndrome.  This is usually a post-viral or vaccination phenomena, where one gets an inflammatory reaction in the brachioplexus and causes nerve damage to the nerves of the arm.  An EMG would help make the diagnosis and any recent history of a viral infection or vaccination (flu shot).  It is treated with medications and the outcome is usually back to normal.  It might be other things also, but I would wait for the neurological exam and EMG before making another guess.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

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[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

This is a free service.  This is not part of my salary for doing this.  As far as I know, there is no donations accepted by medhelp.  Although there is no sponsor to allow this forum to expand, it will continue as far as I know.

CCF Neuro MD

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[barbara stoops]

ihave been having numbmess pricklies and pressure along entire right side of my body from top of head down to feet and toes that began wed.march 8 and continues almost 3 days   i was admitted to hospital wed and checked me   out for stroke overnight which was neg being    checked every two hours for signs of stroke     a cat scan was done no abnormalities i have     an appointment to have a mri on mon and to see  an neurologist on mon before mri.i have several health problems including diabetes insulin dependent fatty liver uveitis beginning of cirrhosis and mixed connective tissue disease   chf, chronic sinus infections  insomnia no rem  for 30 years i am a retired r.n. appreciate any information also when i have alot of pain in    left arm my esophageal stricture needs dilated  and relieves pain in left arm. also would lady  bug bite cause harm to humans

                                                      
  

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Barbara Stoops:

Sorry that you have so many medical problems.  I not sure what to tell you about your whole right sided body numbness.  There are not many things that can cause complete right sided sensory features.  One would have to have a left sided stroke and a right sided peripheral sensory lesion, very, very uncommon.  Or possibly a very high spinal cord lesion and a peripheral lesion in the facial cranial nerve.  So, as you can tell I am stumped.  I don't believe a lady bug bite would have any effect on you.

Sorry that I am not much help.

CCF Neuro MD

[Eric Clouse]

I was n a MVA when I was 16 yrs old. I had a brachial plexius nerve damage. The doctors said they was afraid 2 do surgery cause they might paralize me. So nothing was done. My ? is have they come up with something that might have a  less serious effect. It left me with very poor grip, can't straighten my fingers out, muscle loss, numbness on the top side but can feel on the bottom side, n I have pain alot n my arm n fingers. It feels like touching n electric fence. Thank You, Eric Clouse

[J. Cooke]

I have had 2 fainting episodes.  MY eeg was abnormal.  I will be having a 48hourEEG next week and a sleep study latter. I also had an EKG and a 24hour holter EKG that was abnormal.  I wiLL SEE A  cardiologist next month.             IN the meantime, I cannot drive or work.     This waiting is really hard on me.  Wouldn,t it be a quicker diagnosis to have an MRI?             I am a 62 year old female in otherwise good health.  Thank you for any healp you can give me.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear J. Cooke:

Likely you have cardiogenic syncope.  The abnormal EKG and a tilt table test would be the definitive diagnosis.  The MRI would not help in the diagnosis unless they think you have had a stroke, demyelinating disease, etc.

CCF Neuro MD

[cindi]

Last week I feel down a flight of wet stairs and landed on my right side with my right arm breaking my fall. Immediately my fingers wet numb, not completely just the section from my middle knuckles to my hand.  I dont remember feeling any severe pain just a sense of shock.  Now I am experiencing burning in my neck down my arm and a feeling of restlessness in that arm. I have night time numbness and tingling in my thumb, index and middle fingers. In the morning everything feels better but as the day continues the burning starts and progressively worsens..What could be the problem?

[Mrishty]

A related discussion, shooting elbow pain was started.

[JoLynnee]

A related discussion, Arm needs was started.

[TCoult]

A related discussion, Headaches and arm, hand, and finger pain. was started.