From my hands falling asleep to wide spread joint pain.

[Laineet]

It started with a grinding noise when I turned my head that is only audible to me. My neck muscles are very hard and I can not sit upright very long as the muscles running under my shoulder blades ache unbearably until I get up.  I can press against the corner of a wall against that muscle and the pain will subside to a bearable state.  Then I began to get numbness in my hands.  Again I can relieve it by pressing against this muscle under my blades against a corner of a wall.  Today I can't write for more that 60 seconds at a time or I will be in pain and my hand will be numb, burning and pressure.  I wake in the night now 2 or 3 times I have to get up and press against a corner.  Years ago a chiropractor xrayed my neck at the beginning of a stint of treatment to stop my migraine headaches.  He said I had calcium build up in my neck at the base of my skull.  I have been waiting 2 months to be called by an orthopedic surgeon to make me an appointment.  My GP says he thinks it's carpo. I know there's more to it.  My hands and fingers are normally sore now.  I can't write more than 1/2 a sentence at a time and my hand is tingling with needles and painful pressure in my palm.  I have to stop writing and put my hand down until the feeling comes back.  If it doesn't come back I get up against a corner of the room and press very hard.  Now that is failing to work.  My legs and back ache I feel 20 years older than I am.  When my hands go to sleep the pressure in my palms is excruciating.  So bad once that I went to emerg and they hook me up to heart monitors.  They found I have a healthy heart but had no explanation for what was happening.  My knees hurt and it's difficult to bend, my wrists my feet, and now the joints under my bum cheeks.  The only relief I get now is by taking painkillers.  When they wear off the pain is back.  CAN YOU HELP ME?  ANY IDEAS WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Thank you, Lainee

[beautifulrain]

Hi Laineet,
I had so many of the symptoms that you have a few years ago. I still have them. I thought I had carpo too & was sent to a hand surgeon that said he believed it was all coming from my neck and sent me to a neurosurgeon.

Sure enough, he found the problem. I had herniated/protruding disks that were compressing nerves and pushing on my spinal cord.
I had a 2 level fusion in Dec 2011. My 2nd opinion wanted to do a 4 level, he was a orthopedic surgeon & I should have gone with him!
About a year and a half after the surgery, the level above & below the fusion were doing the same thing & now I need additional surgery in my neck!

If I were you, I'd seek out a orthopedic, fellowship trained surgeon and let him check you out. He will take x-rays & go from there.

I hope you find the root of your problem and I hope you keep us posted about the outcome.

Good luck & God Bless you.

[Sierra7760]

Hi,

I have neck/back problems as well. sounds like you might have any of the following:  a ruptured/bulging disc, bone spurs pressing on nerves, or maybe your atlas is out of alignment. A chiropractor can help you with re-alignment using an atlas orthogonal or an adjustment tool. I get the grinding at the base of my skull when it is out of alignment. PT also showed me how to do an isometric push with my muscles to re-align it. weird, but it works.

if it is bone spurs or a disc problem, you might need a surgeon. I can't find two doctors that can diagnose me correctly on which area it is in my neck and I already had a left cervical foraminotomy that didn't help. my pt told me the joints were tight in my neck, so they are pressing down on the nerves, causing the problem. It burns and causes a lot of pain, that keeps me from falling asleep. so now I have a daily routine that has kept it under control.

1. take a hot shower

2. I bought a 3 ft long high density foam roll. I roll on it from lower spine all the way to atlas at base of neck. do this several times.

3. I bought something I found off Amazon, called Spine Worx. I can't live without it. I scoot my spine up and down on it and try my best to lift up to get the lower parts of my neck. I pinch my shoulder blades together to make sure I have my spine in the middle of it to make sure I am lined up correctly. both it and the roll help get me back in alignment. just can't get my upper neck.

4. I have a traction device that my PT gave me, and my insurance paid for. It lays on the ground and I put my head in the base of it and it has a belt that wraps around my head and then I pump it up to raise my head off my spine. I don't know what I would do without this, especially. it takes away that tightness in my neck and the pain. I do it twice a day, sometimes just once a day. but if I don't do it for a few days, I am in miserable pain and my hands go numb and get painful again. I also bought a smaller traction device off Amazon that has a bag that goes around your neck. you pump it up with air and use it while you are sitting up. I don't like it much, because it tends to slip and bugs my jaw. but when I can't get down on the floor with the other, I use this.

Hope this might help some.

Sierra