Pins and needles starting in my finger tips and going up to my elbow in my right arm. I cannot carry anything in rt. hand without it starting.

by mary
(Bolton, lancs)

I do also have diabetes, blood pressure, underactive thyroid, arthritis and have had polymyalgia rheumatica 3 yrs. ago, but am still on 5 steroids per day.

I also have a heart murmer but it has never caused any problems.

Hello Mary,

All in all a complex set of symptoms. Firstly, do you have adult onset, type II diabetes, and are you significantly overweight? Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and polymyalgia are firm bed-fellows.

At this page ( http://www.chiropractic-help.com/Free-weight-loss-programs.html), scroll down until you come to Body Mass Index, follow the link, plug in your weight and height. Near or over 30? Then that's a large part of your problem. Get it off, cut out the carbs in your diet. Sorry, but the alternative is too ghastly to contemplate. Stroke, heart attack, pain...

Carefully decide which fingers you get the tingling in. If it's in the thumb, index and middle finger, then Carpal Tunnel is a real possibility. A first rib fixation (Thoracic Outlet syndrome) would cause the tingling in all fingers. In just one or two fingers, then it's coming from your neck.

These are things that Chiropractors treat on a daily basis. Shop around for a competent experienced chiro.

Oh, start walking EVERY DAY. At least half an hour. Otherwise, with all that cortisone, there's a fractured hip on the way, just to add your misery.

You can do it, Mary. There's heaps of research showing that exercise benefits arthritis and polymyalgia. Depending on your age, aim for a BMI not higher than 28.

I hope this has contributed.