QuestionAbout 4 weeks ago, I started getting right arm pain and, two days later, index finger numbness. Also thumb and middle finger a bit numb.
The arm pain was very bad. The doctor said it is nerve problem at c4-c5. I was given cortisone pills (prednisone 20mg, 4 for 4 days, 3 for 3 days, 2 for 2 days and 1 for the last day). I am also taking Etoricoxib 120mg, once a day (8 days so far).
I also took Voltaren shots in butt for 5 days.
The Chiropractor adjusted my neck, he said the xray showed the neck to be straight, bu should be curved. The pain is much less, but the numbness remains.
Both my doctor (Orthopedist) and my Chiropractor say rest the arm and give it a long time. But I am concerned with the numbness and the continued pain. If I use my arm, the whole arm begins to ache an hurt more.
Do I need an MRI? should I just wait?
I typed this with difficult with my left arm only! I am a righty.
Lorne
AnswerHi Lorne,
From your history, I'd also guess that you have neck posture problems - your head goes a bit further forward than it ought to?
You may also have a history of neck injury - a car accident or three? And/or an office work history?
Cervical nerve pain is common in all of these groups. The nerves that register pain and control the muscles in your fingers and hands originate from your spine. They wind deep, deep through the neck and chest, come down your armpit and down your arm. Anything that compresses the nerve on that path can cause these injuries.
When computers were coming on the scene in the early 80s we saw many, many of these cases. Tragically, some surgeons incorrectly diagnosed this problem and did a 'carpal tunnel release' procedure in the wrists of many people who did not need or benefit from it. Now, with two decades under our belts, the medical community is getting more savvy about treating these problems. The computer community has also presented better products to prevent users from coming down with these problems.
However, there are some major steps back:
-Use of a laptop computer for long periods. Remember ergonomic keyboards? Users of laptops never did buy into the ergonomic revolution, so we're left with narrow keyboards that force the shoulders together and wrists bent. Do yourself a favour - get an external ergonomic keyboard.
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Now, I'm a Canadian. I've never paid for an MRI, nor do I even know how many zeroes the bill would contain if I did. On the other hand, we wait forever for MRIs. If you're able to afford an MRI it's a great idea to - even just to track the course of your injury. It may also catch some of the more scary (though improbable) possibilities, like a progressive encroachment on your spinal cord from a bone growth, tumor (yikes), etc. But these would be 'the zebra in the herd of horses'. Would I break the bank on it? No. Is it worth the radiation you'll absorb during the test? Yes. But I'm guessing that since we're talking here, you're probably not better-heeled than Oprah Winfrey. It's not a big priority.
What IS a priority is to LEARN ANY LESSONS this is presenting. If your posture is terrible, IT CAN'T be ignored any more. You may need to undo a decade or three of poor posture habits, poor work habits, etc. You need to add Vitamin C and E to your diet and quit smoking. Consider alternatives like glucosamine and chondritin - any health food circus (er, store) will carry them. Are they proven? No. May they help? Possibly. The take-home message is to KICK ASS on your own recovery - get that cervical curvature back and keep your spine healthier than you have been.
Rock on, Lorne. Send on any supplimentary questions.
--Glenn Kukkee
RMT, HBSc
