SO went to the orthopedic surgeon again for a follow up after my EMG which was normal. My fingers have been numb and painful for 4 weeks now. And my palm is swollen. He prescribes me some steroids, requests a cervical MRI, some blood work, and tells me if nothing comes us, probably was a virus or something and he is confident it would "resolve itself." Well, it hasnt in the last month!! SO frustrating!! What kind of a virus causes your fingers to go numb on one arm?
I'm not sure of any virus but I do know that cervical spine problems do not cause swelling of the hand. It causes numbness and sharp pains but not swelling. Ulnar nerve problems can also cause these types of problems but agian, generally not swelling.
Most of the time numbness or tingling is caused by a pinched nerve. When it comes to the hand it could be caused by the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Carpal tunnel will also cause numbness and it also causes swelling but usually most often in the wrist.
If the steriods don't help and the MRI proves to be clean I'd probably go get a second opinion from a hand specialist. Any prolonged numbness or tingling is not good, nor is prolonged swelling. You definately need to keep searching for answers. Hopefully someone here will have other ideas.
take a little scroll on down to the RSD board way down below on these boards and do some looking at some of the threads regarding symptoms,depending on just what type of surgery was done on you and where(i am assuming you did indeed have some sort of surgery since you are seeing an ortho?)this could be just one possibility of what may be going on.i have this in my right knee and it is swollen and very pain ful.but you can get this in just about any place on your body.the most common areas tho are in the extremities.how does your hand actually 'look' besides the swelling,are there any color changes in the skin or even the fingernails on that hand?
like i said,just one possibility.i would think about possibly changing orthos,really,a virus??? sounds like he doesn't have even the slightest clue about whats going on and is now just grasping at straws here.any knowledgeable ortho,realistically,would be at least "thinking' about RSD as a possibility.i have never heard of any virus that would be causing these types of symptoms.
just check into RSD a bit and see how your particular symptoms compare.that will tell you alot.hopefully this isn't it,but again,i really would seek out another ortho for at the very least,a second opinion.please let us know how things go.FB
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3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.
I havent had any surgery. I was referred to the ortho cause my GP had no clue so sent me there. I have had consistent finger numbness and some shoulder pain. My hand is only swollen under the thumb area. There is definitely something going on here. You dont just go numb for no reason for a month. And it shows no signs of going away. No color changes or anything, although sometimes it goes ice cold, but still no changes in color... Hopefully the cervical MRI might give me some answers. Meanwhile I will start on my course of steroids. My MRI is Sunday and he did all this blood work, meaning if I am lucky he MAY contact me end of next week. Either way my follow up is MOnday Sept 11, and if it is not not better by then, I will go to a neuro on my own for a second opinion...Numbness to me seems liek something to look at seriously, not dismiss and say it will go away on its own..Hasnt yet and it hurts!
