pain & tingling in both shoulders, fingers & thumbs

by Stuart
(Southport UK)

In November 2018 while working in a friend's garden, I fell backwards down a steep slope (circa 15 metres). As a result I had some paralysis in both arms & hands and extreme pain in my shoulders. The GP diagnosed cervical radiculopathy and foraminal stenosis. Since then I have experienced severe nerve pain that can only be controlled with morphine-based medication. Can chiropractic manage this pain?
Stuart (83)

Hello Stuart,
The honest answer, is I'm not sure. Since I'm getting on myself, I treat a lot of people of your age, and some respond well, and others not so well. It's all dependent on the extent of your foraminal stenosis.

What's good is that it hasn't affected your legs, which would mean cord pressure, but both arms is obviously not so good.

The extreme pain in your shoulders could be related to your neck, but is probably also local injury which certainly would be treatable.

So, a guarded yes, but not if you're expecting a one click miracle; that won't happen. Would an initial ten treatment programme with an hoped for fifty percent improvement be satisfactory.

Look for a chiropractor with experience and time on his hands; perhaps someone like myself who is semi-retired and willing to take more time with you.

Take your X-rays and hopefully you have an MRI with you.

Let me know how you get on.

Dr B

Comments for pain & tingling in both shoulders, fingers & thumbs

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 25, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Your reply
by: Stuart (Southport)

Dear Dr.B., Thank you so much for your rapid reply that I have found so encouraging. If I had 50% more recovery I would be more than satisfied! I'm going to start making inquiries to find a semi-retired chiropractic in the Southport area! I do have an MRI, scan and numerous X-rays of the areas affected C2/C3, C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6, C6/C7, C7/T1

The doctor's conclusion is as follows: "No acute cervical spine injury is detected. Multilevel advanced disc degeneration and uncovertebral osteophytic lipping with multilevel foraminal stenosis".

Hope this helps with your prognosis? Yours sincerely, Stuart

Hello Stuart,
It will be tough, Stuart, with x-rays like that, but I have so many elderly patients with nasty radiographs who have few symptoms, that my prognosis rests more on the physical findings than the state of the scans.

For example, if you turn your head to the side, and then look up, do you immediately pins and needles down your arm?

If your raise your arm above your head, to the side, behind your back, do you get shoulder pain.

Things like that; let me know how you get on.

A home traction unit sometimes helps; you lie with your neck under axial tension for perhaps 15-20 minutes every day. Ask your chiropractor.

Dr B

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Chiropractic help Questions (Neck pain).






Did you find this page useful? Then perhaps forward it to a suffering friend. Better still, Tweet or Face Book it.


Interesting challenges of the day

1. Mr S is a 76 year old man with neck pain of some 9 months duration. Luckily, most of the discomfort is upper cervical which is only rarely arthritic; his lower cervical spine is a degenerative mess that I've left alone. After seven treatments his pain and stiffness is 50 percent better, and he's happy in the circumstances. He can sleep through the night now and that makes a huge difference.

2. Mr P is 32 year old man with very severe lower back pain radiating to the big toe which is 30 percent numb. He had an episode three weeks ago, took anti inflammatories and was soon better as is typical of the medial disc herniation. But before it healed, after a trivia it came roaring back, much worse. The characteristic crossed sign was evident; sitting in a chair, straightening the right leg provoked severe left back pain and tingling in the leg. He's doing well.

3. Severe lower back pain is scary; just ask Mrs P. Just watching her get out of the car I she was in trouble; she had a slipped disc at L4 making her lean towards the opposite side; luckily she had no pain in the leg. Despite family pressure that this was far too severe for a chiropractor, she persevered. Within five days she was standing upright, and after two weeks almost painfree. 

Despite a hectic job, she wisely took my advice and stayed home for what I call exercising bed rest.

4. Mr S has had lower back, groin and back of thigh and calf pain for fourth months.

He has a pincer deformity in the hip causing the stabs in the groin, and a degenerative facet causing the sciatica. Both are responding well to chiropractic and he's well pleased; sixty five percent better after three treatments.

5. Mr T is a wise man; he's taken a warning TIA seriously and has lost 15 pounds, and has at least as much again to lose. A change to a low starch diet and half hour daily walk has made the difference; but the walking is making his foot and back miserable. The expensive orthotic is hopeless; luckily his hips and back are fine, but he needs a simple heel lift.

6. I too have had serious lower back issues, luckily fixed by my own chiropractor; so I too have to do my exercises, take care when lifting supers full of honey, gardening and using the chainsaw. Regaining the function of your spine is just as important as the pain.

7. My own granddaughter, only 7 is hypermobile giving her pelvic, knee and ankle issues. Xrays show a mildly dysplastic hip. Years ago we would have called it growing pains. She too regularly needs chiropractic care and luckily responds well. Increased range of motion is more difficult than too stiff in my opinion. Our care is for kids too.

8. This 65 year old lady is a serious gardener; every day she is bending, lifting and digging for 2 to 3 hours a day. It regularly catches her in the sacroiliac joint, so she has a treatment once a month that sorts it out. She does her lower back exercises faithfully.

9. This 88 year old lady is an inspiration; every day she is busy in the community. With a nasty scoliosis she manages very well with a chiropractic adjustment every six weeks and exercises faithfully done.  

10. Mr X is a 71 year old retired man who wants to continue with maintenance care every six to eight weeks; he had suffered from two years of lower back pain when he first came a year ago. He has no discomfort now after 8 chiropractic treatments, but is aware that danger lurks.

11. Mrs C has been having severe headaches, and taking a lot of analgesics. It's a non complicated upper cervical facet syndrome, and she's doing well.

12. Mr D is a 38 old year man with chronic shoulder pain after a rotator cuff tear playing cricket. It responded well to treatment, but he knows he must do his exercises every day; for two years he couldn't sleep on that shoulder.

13. Mr D, a 71 year old man, has a severe ache in the shoulder and midback since working above his head. Trapped nerve tests are negative but he has advanced degenerative joints of Luschka; after just two treatments he is 50 percent better. Can we reach 90?

And so the day goes; chiropractors shouldn't be treating the elderly most medical sites state but that's so much bunkum.

Have a problem that's not getting better? Looking for a different slant on your pain? Want to pose a question?

Interesting questions from visitors

CLS writes:

Greetings, Dr B.
You helped me quite some time back with a soothing and professional response which turned out to be exactly correct. I now consult a local chiropractor. You write a superb newsletter, too.

Your own unresolved problem. Pose a question

Knowing that up to 70% of the time the correct diagnosis is made with no examination, no special tests, no xrays, but just from the history, there's a fair chance I can add some insight to your unresolved problem. But at least 30% of the time, I may be quite wrong! Give plenty of detail if you want a sensible reply.


You visited this chiropractic help site no doubt because you have a problem that is not resolving and want to know more about what chiropractors do.

The quickest and most interesting way is to read one of my ebooks of anecdotes. Described by a reader as gems, both funny and healthful, from the life and work of a chiropractor, you'll love them. Priced right at $2.99, though Kindle fiddles the price without telling me.