dull ache in arms and hands! TINGLING IN ARMS AND HANDS

by julie

TINGLING IN ARMS AND HANDS

Hi,
About 6 weeks ago I woke up with a dull ache in my right arm. I thought I'd slept funny! It's not a pain just an horrible ache.

I went to my doctor who told me if its not gone in 2 weeks to come back (no medication) after the 2 weeks it seemed to have gone! Then last week it started again but started also travelling down my arm in to my hand!, then I startd with a pain in my neck.

I did go for massage, he told me thought it was a trapped nerve?. I was in agony that night! I've used deep heat hot water bottle etc. and took pain killers!

After a couple of days it was much better then last night woke up at 4 am with this horrible tingly dull ache feeling again in both arms? but left arm seemed worse. I took diclofenic. I have only had 4 tabs in total up to now. When I got this feeling in the night I felt really sick and had a headache! I'm so worried, but do I need to go to the hospital? Please help!

thanks julie x

I'm a normally healthy 39 year old female?

Hello Julie,
No, you don't need to go to the hospital (though an X-ray would be useful, including the "oblique" views.)

You have a condition known as a "brachial neuralgia", in layman's terms: a pinched nerve in the neck. It's one of the more painful conditions we treat, nights are often bad, and sometimes it can be stubborn to treatment of any sort.

Having said that, normally the condition will be much improved within 2-4 weeks with chiropractic care.

Three classic tests:

* Turn your head to the right, and then look up. Does in hurt in your neck, and does it radiate into the arm?

* Stretch your good arm out to the side, palm forwards, and extend your wrist, remembering the tightness in the lower arm. Now repeat with the naughty arm. Is it much tighter? Painful?

* Does placing your hand on your head RELIEVE the pain?

See an experienced chiropractor. Soon.

I hope this has contributed.

Dr B

PS. Correcting your English was a pain, but seeing you're in such a pain we'll be kind! Don't they teach grammar in M?