Warning signs for nerve damage

[bluebeck]

I have had trigger-finger surgery left middle due to repetative gripping action due to my occupation. I cannot extend finger backwards, cannot place fingers together, get incredible undesrible pain simply doing nothing. Sometimes pain shoots up inside of my palm through my forearm to elbow almost like electrical shock. It is swollen-surgery performed 2/15. I am following exercises doctor advised to no avail. Not on any medication except ibuprofen. I need to know how long to expect these pains, or how to determine if I need further tests, and if my hand will ever return to 100%, as dexterity is key to my profession. Please help..Sincerely Injured and Confused

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

There may not be nerve damage here. The surgery may have left some infection in the finger which can spread. This is just a possibility to be ruled out.

Do you observe any swelling in the palm or the base of the finger? Hand surgery may also lead to a reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Please get these two conditions ruled out.

Regards

[bluebeck]

Thank you for responding. yes, I do have swelling at exactly where you described. Looks like several knots formimg one large one around the size of a quarter. I do also get pains in other fingers as well. I'll look into this..ou again..Sincerely, bluebeck