Numbing Fingers

It really sounds like you're on a good course of action and are using good judgement about the drugs. Great that you're trying to solve the physical problem and not just rely on drugs. They definitely have their place as pain can be so debilitating.

Other things you might consider....Is your posture when you work on the computer what it should be? Are you getting up every 20 minutes or so and stretching? Do you walk the dog or carry it? Could you be doing this in a way that irritates your spine? Carrying your 23 month old, putting her in and out of the car, stroller, holding her hand while she's walking, can really do a number on the spine. It takes awhile to train/strengthen the muscles to support your spine and not let things slip, causing the pinched nerve again. The physical therapist should be able to give you specific stretches and exercises to strengthen the problem areas and make sure to think through the above so you can inform the PT of how you move and what stresses you may be putting on your back/spine/neck. They may also have some ideas of better ways to do some of these everyday things.

Ask your doctors what kind of timeline they see as far as improvement. Then you will know what to expect. It may be that you'll have to be extra patient if the problem is lugging a 2 year old around and learning creative ways to do that without putting as much stain on your body. This could be different from someone who hurts themselves in an accident that doesn't occur everyday. They would have a better chance of letting things heal and settle.

If you think you've been misdiagnosed, ask for a second opinion or if you're feeling like you're not getting what you should from your chiropractor, PT or any doctor try someone else. It's not always an issue of "fault" or the qualifications of the doctor. My husband is a chiropractor and there are different methods of chiropractic. He's had patients referred to him from other Chiropractors because the patient wasn't responding to a specific method and visa versa. It doesn't happen often but it does. All the Best to you!

Hello, I can relate, I also had that same problem and have some info for you. I work in wellness and use therapeutic NON Toxic products, with no side effects. call me if you would like at ###-###-#### or go to my website and check out the oil blend called panaway( there are others that would also help ) There is too much to write down, easier to speak to you.
http://oilgal.younglivingworld.com
Look forward to speaking to you, K. :)

If I were you, I would have my GP refer me to a neurologist right away. There may be a narrowing of the opening in the neck vertebrae that is causing the nerves to your arms to be pinched. A neurologist or spinal specialist could determine the cause of the numbness and determine a treatment plan. This is called stenosis. I would start there, and tell the office when you call that you have a baby and are working, and that it has affected your ability to care for yourself and family. I am not sure that the current plan in place is really helping you as much as you could be helped, so good luck!

My boss just went thru this last year, and it turned out it was a pinched nerve, PT and electorid therapy helped her. She's not in right now but I will ask her for details when she gets here.

K.

I feel for you, because I have been through a similar situation. I have widespread tendinitis with nerve involvement, from my fingertips to my wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders, up under my collarbone and into my neck on both sides. My numbness was only in my fingers but the pain was everywhere. I know how bad it can be. I can't imagine going through this with a two year old. We have put off having another baby until I'm well enough. I have been unable to work for a year and a half.

I am finally getting some relief from acupuncture. For the first time in over a year I have some hours that are pain free. It is absolutely wonderful. Physical therapy also helped with teaching me to be conscious about my posture. It made a big difference. Your physical therapist may also be able to teach you some keyboard and workstation ergonomics that will help.

I was so discouraged and overwhelmed, but things are getting better. I have coverage through Kaiser for acupuncture and go every two or three weeks. I noticed a difference after the second session. I am so grateful. I was getting really tired of taking Vicodin.

See if your doctor will give you a referral to an acupuncturist, and if he or she won't, you might go find one on your own. It's an investment in your health. What would happen if you couldn't work? If you couldn't care for your children? I don't want to frighten you, but I have been through both of those things. I couldn't drive the car, or load the dishwasher. I still can't push a swing but I'm getting there! Don't lose hope. Things will get better.

I agree with Diane & Bill. I experienced the same thing and learned that I have stenosis, which is the narrowing of the vertabrae in my spinal column. If left untreated, you could lose the strength in your fingers, hand & arm over time. An MRI was done to determine the cause of my problem & then treatment involved taking an anti-inflamatory, such as Naproxen & then exercises monitored by a physical therapist once the inflamation had gone down. A weak area in women is often our necks & when you have young children, the chances of injury seem to increase. Often due to the carrying of the child & all of their stuff. We always seem to overload ourselves & do too much. Carrying more than we should & not maintaining good posture are common culprits. Best of luck.

Pray A.- You have your hands full right now, you are doign all at once and becoming SuperMom!! Take it slow, it all starts with a great pair of shoes and then ergonomics- you must be sitting/ standing/ taking breaks from the screen for your focus all the time- at least 10 min each time.
A baby is enough to handle right now, then a puppy who needs you just as much, to train, to play with, and attention- boy that can do it!
For now, all you can do is think positive. Thursday will be here before you know it, worrying about that MRI for your spine will only make it worse if you worry about it. You can make yourself feel sicker just by your thoughts.. so for now, take care of them babies - everything else can wait until after you get your results. YOu will be okay- say that 10x a day and this will soon along you.. and you will be told you are fine- just pinched a nerve and you need to destress yourself- best advice I have ever been given :) Take care.

Hi A.. Are these your only symptoms? I had the same problem but with more symptoms which turned out to be rheumatoid arthritis which is not overly common but lots of women have it. My friend had a similar problem but did have a form of tendonitis and decided to get surgery to correct the problem. Your mri should probably help you figure it out. Good luck!

Hi A.,

I think you should be a little more patient with the chiropractic care and the massage and give them time to work their magic. A pinched nerve takes time to heal. Skip the MRI which is a dangerous test, despite what your doctor tells you.

Hope this helps,
M. S.

Hi A.,

I'm sorry about your discomfort. Depending on how long you've seen your chiropractor, I would say you might need to find a more effective one. I've seen three different ones for two separate problems, and one was not very helpful while the other two were. I found almost immediate relief with the two better ones. Accupuncture and yoga might be good options too, but I'm not a chiropractor so you might ask them about those two ideas. Chiropractic is funny: a good one can save your life and a bad one can cause more problems than you started with. Good luck!

there was once a time that I could not grab a pencil and write, my right arm had no strength to control even my fingers. My chiropractor found out that I had a pinched nerve on my spine at upper mid back, in between the 2 shoulder blades where there must be the nerves which go to the 2 arms. Once it was fixed, I gained back control of my arm and dexterity.

You might have injured yourself while twisting or dislocated a vertebra on the spine while handling or picking up your children. They can be heavy and you have to be careful on your spine.

I found deep tissue massage at the culprit area adjust the muscles and relieve the pain eventually. Hope this help!

I'm a mom (13 yrs.) & massage therapist (19 yrs.). I think you're doing all very good things. I would only add acupuncture & therapeutic grade essential oils. There are a number of oils & ways to use them, so would like to go over them with you. There is a company in the USA that produces the finest oils & teaches great ways to use them. Feel free to contact me re: how to get them, which ones, & how to use them. I hope you get relief very soon. Oh! & take lots of deep breaths, too--the oxygen will do more than you might think. You can check my website for some info., too:
http://saramorgan.younglivingworld.com

A.,

I had a similar experience when I was pregnant with my first child. I don't remember everything the Dr. said to about the hows and whys (it was 5 years ago) but he basically told me that I had a type of pinched nerve in my shoulder that was making my fingers tingle. He recommended that I sleep at night with wrist braces on because I was most likely sleeping with my wrist in a weird position (I don't remember why he said this tied into my shoulder). This really worked for me. The bulky braces, you have to get the ones with the metal/plastic inserts to stabilize your hands, were a little hard to get used to but it beat medication and surgery. Now I only have to wear them once a month when I am retaining water as the swelling seems to affect my shoulder nerve. I would say it's worth a shot. Good luck, and I hope it's nothing serious.

-E.

My hubby was missdiagnosed with the same symptoms. They did a carpel tunnel test that turned out negative when we had a PPO. Then told him it was pinched nerveand gavehim a powerfull mood altering drug (Effexor) and he was on that for two years with devastating consequenses, not the least of which was the worsening of the carpel tunnel. When we got Kaiser he went back, got re tested and found he had severe carpel tunnel and some permanent nerve damage because of the delay in proper diagnosis. He since had the CT surgery at Kaiser and is much better without the dabilitating pain at work. I say get a second opinion.

You poor thing! It's bad enough that you have to leave your DD to work, but to have to do it in pain is horrible! I've never had anything like this, but I think if I were you I would seriously consider accupressure or accupuncture. I hear they have great success rates with things like this! Good luck! HOpe it all works out SOON!