Radial and Ulnar nerve compression?

[tashagrace]

I am a massage therapist and use my hands quite a bit.  For the past 2 weeks I have been getting pins and needles in both of my thumbs and also in my pinky and ring fingers on my right hand.  I have been referred to Occupational Therapy and they did not seem to know what was causing the pins and needles in my thumbs.  I tested positive for ulnar nerve compression but they are not sure what is causing the pins and needles in my thumbs.  I also get shooting pains that come from deep in my shoulder/arm pit and down my arm and occasional pains coming from my neck down to my hands.  For the past couple of months I have been coping with pain in both of my shoulders, at times limiting my range of motion.  That pain is not consistant and gets better with rest.  My elbows have been particularly tender and painful to the touch, especially the ulnar anterior side of my right elbow.

I had a Chiropractor assess me and he believes I may have nerve compression on both the radial and ulnar side of my elbow, is this possible?  He also said my neck is a mess.  Could that be where my problem is stemming from?  Or any suggestions as to what my problem could be?

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
You could be having a spinal nerve compression in the neck or cervical region along with ulnar nerve compression in the arm and hand. This may be leading to the pain in neck, shoulder, arm and hands along with numbness and tingling. Wrong posture, spinal stenosis, spinal disc protrusion etc, may be the cause. Please go for MRI of the neck and spine, and arm and consult a neurologist for diagnosis and treatment.  Please stop strenous physical work and go for gentle exercises daily. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!

[caregiver222]

Sounds like you also have nerve compromise at the cervical level. A little bit of spinal stenosis. There is an unlikely chance you have degenerative arthritis, but most likely it's just nerve compression. You need a few days of rest. That's for sure.  These injuries are peculiar, in that they often respond to exercise through the limits of pain, which is counter-intuitive. And "range of motion" exercises with the head. If you keep "self-splinting" you eventually end up with a frozen shoulder. The bad news bears. You will find that most physicians won't know how to treat this.  Moderate home axial traction is recommended, for ten minutes six to a dozen times a day, two hours between treatments. A cervical collar is NOT recommended as it will decrease muscle tone. Plan stupid. Good hydration and ibuprufin to reduce infloammation. An MRI is suggested. Not a CT. Don't waste time on an x-ray. If your chiropracter suggests an x-ray run from the office.