HUsband Arm pain/numbness

[frankie12]

My husband has been dealing with right arm/shoulder pain and numbness for the last 6 months.  It is to the point that his hand is starting to cramp. He has no strenth when he raises his arm in from of him - palm down.  He has had an MRI, X-rays and a EMG ( I think) and nothing has shown up to suggest what this is.  He has been to a shoulder ortho who suggested that it was a C6 injury/nerve damage. He then when to a spine ortho who didn't listen and attempted to give my husband a steriod shot.  When he realized tht the pain and numbness was in his hands he was ordered to have the EMG.  The EMG is negative for nerve damage - BUT I don't know what the readings are yet.

Any suggestions??

[the_nite_owl]

I had a minor injury to my left shoulder a few years back that left my shoulder hurting for a very long time.
The pain would radiate down my left arm, especially in the upper inside forearm.  Eventually I started having pain and then numbness in my fingers, usually groups of fingers and part of the palm.  After 2 months the problem just kept progressing and I saw a doctor who refered me to a physical therapist.
The PT told me there is a nerve bundle running down through the shoulder into the arm and the pain was likely pressure applied to the nerve bundle.
He gave me exercises with a theraband to strengthen the muscle groups around that shoulder that would tend to pull pressure off the location the nerves passed through.
This began working within a week and improved the longer I did the exercise till the pain and numbness left.
I periodically get pain in my shoulder again and start those exercises and it helps.
Have your husband visit a PT and see what they have to say.

[frankie12]

Thanks.  I will let him know.  This is just so frustrating, we have been dealing with this for a long time and we just can't get answers.

[rosebud57]

have you thought of trying chiropractic adjustments. sometims xrays don't show or traditional doc's don't see misalignments.

I have experienced pain/numbness that was corrected wtih chiropractic adjustments.

[the_nite_owl]

Here are some links talking about arm, wrist and hand pain that can be caused by damaged or pinched nerves.

http://neurology.health-cares.net/radial-nerve-dysfunction.php
http://www.backandbodycare.com/home/wrist/wrist.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/thoracic-outlet-syndrome
http://arthritis.about.com/od/nervepain/Nerve_Pain_Causes_Symptoms_Diagnosis_Treatment_Pain_Relief.htm

In my case the assumption is that swelling from a shoulder injury was pinching the bundle of nerves going through the should to my arm and was evidencing itself with pain in various places down my arm and in my hand.
My physical therapist had me perform exercises to strengthen muscle groups in my shoulder, back and chest to help pull the tension off of the area where the pinching was occuring and the pain finally went away.
I suffered this pain for several months with it moving around a bit and increasing in intensity.  When I started the exercises the improvement was almost immediate.