Tingling in arms and hands and calves, upper middle back and pain in back of head.

by Belinda Wilding
(Nashville,TN)

I have tingling in arms and hands and back of upper arms. It also goes to the middle of my back at times. It sometimes burns a little. The backs of my calves also tingle. The back of my head up towards my ears also hurts.


These symptoms are worse when I do physical labor. It keeps me from sleeping at night. The tingling and numbness never go away in my hands and arms.

I had the EMG test for carpal tunnel and it was negative. The hand doctor said I had nerve damage coming from another part of my body and recommended I got to a chiropratic clinic that uses light therapy. Shouldn't I get an xray to see if my neck is messed up? Should I see an orthapedic doctor? I am confused. Thank you for any opinions.

Hello Belinda,
Yes, I certainly would get an X-ray, and frankly an MRI. This is not a run-of-the-mill chiropractic case.

Are your reflexes okay? No loss of muscle strength? No numbness when comparing right and left with a pin?
Does turning your head, or looking up cause any symptoms.

Is you gait normal? You don't lose balance, bump into doors...

Look for a chiropractor who has a specialty diploma in neurology. Phone your local TN chiropractic association. There are lots of possibilities, Belinda, and without more tests no one is going to be sure what is the cause of these symptoms. It's not typical of Carpal tunnel syndrome.

I'm not sure what "light therapy" is. Light as in not-heavy?

Thank you for your question, and I hope this contributes. Let us know when a diagnosis is made.

Dr B.

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