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Numbness and Paralysis in hands and arms

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calicypress | 17:53 Wed 13th Aug 2008 | Body & Soul
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I need help here. I am having severe pain and numbness in my hands and arms. Sometimes they burn like they are on fire and it lasts for hours. This happens all night long and the worst is in the morning. This morning my hands were in fists and I could NOT open them for two hours. I would try to straighten a finger and it stretched a muscle going up my arm to the point where It felt like it was ripping, just from moving my finger half and inch. This happens every time I lay down but it is starting to happen during the day too. I have seen a few doctors and they have had ideas but then changed their minds and I have not been diagnosed yet. I am so scared because I don't know if I am causing permanent damage. Any ideas would be helpful. I am a 26 year old female. I had an MRI and nothing showed up but some "wear and tear" in my neck but who knows, it was one MRI and I suppose they could have missed something. The pulse in my wrists is very very weak as well and my entire body is very stiff and sore when I wake up which I have never had before.
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How awful for you, I feel for you here I really do....

I have done a bit of research for you and it could be fibrositis, which is inflammation of muscles, muscle sheaths and connective tissue layers and tendons, muscles, bones and joints.

the signs and symptopms are, stiffness and weakness, sudden, painful muscle spasms, Nodules or areas that are tender to the touch.

It says that symptoms can be controlled with treatment and that heat relieves the pain, as in hot baths/showers.

Im not saying im right, but it is a suggestion for you...x
Do you use a computer for long periods without a break?
How long has this been going on for?

Did your GP send you for an MRI or were you referred through a neurologist?

Was it a brain MRI and has a neurologist or similar examined your muscles or done any other tests?

They can usually see a pattern and an MRI can show changes in conditions like MS (different places are affected depending on different symptoms).

If you haven't had any luck with your GP (have they suggested anything such as stress or anxiety or tried you in any treatment?) and haven't been referred then ask for a referral for a neurologist.

It may be worth an appointment with an osteopath for them to have a look at you and see what they think and if they can help loosen things up a bit.

I had some similar symptoms (and others such as lack of knee reflexes and loss of feeling in my legs, numbness down one side of my body, spasming etc...) a few years back and was referred to a neurologist, had an MRI, nerve conduction studies, EMG etc...

They diagnosed meniere's (due to additional ear symptoms) but never really got to the bottom of the other symptoms save for saying there were no indications on the MRI etc...

I've been seeing an osteopath who said my muscles were horribly tight and there was some kind of shock in my back from a lumbar puncture I had had done. Apparantly it is commonly seen in whiplash and similar type injuries, lumbar punctures and after some epidurals. Do any of these apply to you?

They have helped a great deal in freeing up my body and helping with lifestyle changes and it's made a big difference. It may well be worth a try.

Question Author
Its me again. I'm not sure how to use this site yet because I am knew and I wanted to respond to the wonderful answers I got. Thank you so much you guys this is so nice. I feel like I'm not alone in this anymore.
So I use the computer but not for really long periods of time. It was my GP that referred me to an MRI and the MRI was of my neck, chest and arms. He had thought I had a thing called Thorasic Outlet Syndrome which I think he has since eliminated from the list of possibilities. He thought it could be a pinched nerve in my neck for a bit but eliminated that because then only one arm would be affected and its both. I don't have any painful nodules but I will definitely research fibrosis seeing as it is something I haven't heard of yet. This has been happening for three months now and getting worse by the day. I have been seeing the doctor as frequently as possible but it seems like such a slow process, having to wait for openings and going from test to test only to get no answers and no results.
A nerve specialist is a great idea. I am scheduled for an EMG next week which I am feeling good about (but trying not to get too excited about seeing as there have been so many disappointments). I don't know exactly what an EMG is but I know it has to do with nerves and I feel like this HAS to be nerve related due to the odd burning. Not sure about the not being able to open my fists thing though.
I am going to research osteopath because I don't know what that is. Thank you all so much for caring. Feel free to leave any more ideas you can possibly think of.
Your welcome! If I find anything else that relates to this, I will post it on for you xxx
I am off to my osteopath tomorrow because of very similar problems. I know my problem is due to cervical spondylitis in my neck, combined with spinal injury and other back problems.

I too would recommend seeing an osteopath for advice and possible treatment. A registered osteopath will not treat you if they have any concerns and will ask you to go back to your GP.

Good luck.
An EMG is fine, I had them and nerve conduction studies done.

They pop needles in your skin and check electrical activity - looks really strange on the screen, just like a load of radio waves.

Some more info here...

http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/pu blications/brain_and_spine_booklets/neurophysi ology/what_is_emg_and.html

Some more info on osteopathy here...

http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/

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