Tingling in hands and lower arms

by Sue
(Melbourne)

I have recently been diagnosed with MS around 10 months ago. Over the past two weeks I have experienced tingling in my hands and lower arms. Could this be a progression of MS?

Hello Sue,
Yes, it certainly could, but first let's be sure it not from your neck. Do you have any neck pain? Does turning your head and looking up provoke the tingling, or give you pain in the neck?

Which fingers give you tingling?

Do you get relief, or does putting your hand on you head make it worse. Or no effect?

Sue, you could have carpal tunnel syndrome, a thoracic outlet syndrome, or a neck condition causing the tingling. Only a careful examination, including Adson's test and an Upper Limb Tension test can make a differential diagnosis.

New research suggests that MS is an inflammatory condition (http://www.medical-email.com/newsletter.php?id=3026&spec=35). You need to seriously alter your diet to reduce any inflammation in the body. Like making sure that the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6, in your body is near to 1-3. That means increasing the monosaturates in your diet, and decreasing the polys, and eating plenty of fatty fish, linseed oil and walnuts.

Each nerve is coated with fat. In MS this myelin sheath is affected. You need to make sure that you are eating only the healthy fats.

I'm afraid it means becoming a health nut. Increasing the olive oil and avocado in your diet, absolutely no cooking with polys like sunflower oil, and I'd avoid margarine.

Why? because you need to read labels, and make sure you are eating no hydrogenated fats, aka trans isomers. NONE, ZERO.

Moderate amount of butter and olive oil for frying (and perhaps palm oil, if you can get it).

Go to our Healthy Living page, and start eating stuff like hummus (best make it at home), fruit and veg, and absolutly avoid all processed food. That means no nik-naks, chips, full of hydrogenated fats. Read the labels.

But most important, those fats. Nuts and particularly walnuts too.

As you know there's no proven cure for MS, but that's what I'd do.

Do lots of reading, scour the internet, don't believe everything you read, but don't disbelieve it either.

Work on the basics of healthy living. Take moderate exercise daily, take three week holidays, try to reduce your stress levels, learn to say NO, talk to God and cut out all the crap in your diet. All of it!

And get the fats sorted out. Read our fish oil, olive oil pages, there's lots on it at C-H. Use the Search this site function.

Blessings, I hope this contributes.

Dr B