Concentric needle electrode examination of the right upper extremity muscles innervated by C5-T1 roots as well as the left abductor pollicis brevis muscles showed moderate chronic motor axonal loss changes in bilateral abductor pollicis brevis muscles.
Electrodiagnostic examination of the right upper extremity with additional comparison studies of the left upper extremity shows bilateral median neuropathies at or distal to the wrist, consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome.They are moderate in degree electrically, with the right being slightly worse compared to the left.
I now will see a hand surgeon. I just wish someone can stop the pain.It is really driving me nuts. I can not sleep. It is more & more difficult to use my hands for anything. They are always tingling & numb. Will keep everyone posted. If anyone can translate that medical lingo into English I would appreciate it.
I don't know much about medical terminology but I will say at least you can see someone who can help you. I do have carpel tunnel. I use wrist braces to help with pain to support my wrists, this has helped me. I do sleep with them on if I need to or wear them all day.
You have weakness in the muscles in your hands related to nerve entrapment/ impingement or more simply, carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. You also have neuropathic pain. Pain caused by irritation of the nerves in your hands. It can cause all of the symptoms that you described above. I hope makes it a little less muddy for you
On the bright side, the surgery is a cinch if you have a good surgeon. Even better, patients feel relief from the numbness and tingling right away. It is replaced with surgical pain, but that is much more tolerable and temporary. when you see the surgeon, you can ask if a steroid injection would be helpful in reducing the pain. Some doctors do them in office and they can be very helpful in reducing inflammation and pain.
Splinting can help a lot in the interim. I have two kinds of splints that I use; one type for day and one for night. The day one is lightweight and has openings in it so that I don’t get sweaty and itchy on the inside. I also don’t feel like it restricts my movement too much. The night one is bulkier and has more padding. I think it’s pretty comfortable to sleep in. There are many splints to choose from and they all fit differently. If you decide to get one, Make sure that you try on several to find the best fit. I got the day splint from a medical supply store and the night splint from CVS. I’ll try to post a picture if you would like.
I wear the splints when I am active, but I take them off periodically and stretch and do a little range of motion exercise. It is especially good to wear them when you are on the computer, or anytime you are doing a repetitive activity for a long period of time.
Of course, you can also try ice along with splinting. Apply ice 20 minutes every hour. It can reduce the inflammation that is causing pain, and may provide some relief. Also, when you are resting, try to elevate your arms on a pillow.
I am really sorry that your hands are bothering you. It is definitely painful and frustrating. We use are hands all the time and it is tough when they decide to stop working! I hope you get some relief soon.
My knees are super painful, are there splints for the knees as well?
GrumpyCat said:
You have weakness in the muscles in your hands related to nerve entrapment/ impingement or more simply, carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. You also have neuropathic pain. Pain caused by irritation of the nerves in your hands. It can cause all of the symptoms that you described above. I hope makes it a little less muddy for you :-P
On the bright side, the surgery is a cinch if you have a good surgeon. Even better, patients feel relief from the numbness and tingling right away. It is replaced with surgical pain, but that is much more tolerable and temporary. when you see the surgeon, you can ask if a steroid injection would be helpful in reducing the pain. Some doctors do them in office and they can be very helpful in reducing inflammation and pain.
Splinting can help a lot in the interim. I have two kinds of splints that I use; one type for day and one for night. The day one is lightweight and has openings in it so that I don't get sweaty and itchy on the inside. I also don't feel like it restricts my movement too much. The night one is bulkier and has more padding. I think it's pretty comfortable to sleep in. There are many splints to choose from and they all fit differently. If you decide to get one, Make sure that you try on several to find the best fit. I got the day splint from a medical supply store and the night splint from CVS. I'll try to post a picture if you would like.
I wear the splints when I am active, but I take them off periodically and stretch and do a little range of motion exercise. It is especially good to wear them when you are on the computer, or anytime you are doing a repetitive activity for a long period of time.
Of course, you can also try ice along with splinting. Apply ice 20 minutes every hour. It can reduce the inflammation that is causing pain, and may provide some relief. Also, when you are resting, try to elevate your arms on a pillow.
I am really sorry that your hands are bothering you. It is definitely painful and frustrating. We use are hands all the time and it is tough when they decide to stop working! I hope you get some relief soon.
There a knee braces, but I haven’t tried any. My knees hurt too but I use clay heating pads and a personal TENS machine. I get up early, microwave the heating pads and put the TENS pads on my knees and then strap the warm heating pads to my knees. I use the TENS for 15 minutes and keep the heating pads on for an hour. I use the heat pads at least 2 more times during the day and it helps me a ton. The clay pads are heavier than a typical pad and for some reason, the weight feels really good on my knees. Also, when doing this I stack pillows under my legs from my knees down to help support them.
You can get the pads and TENS machine from the pharmacy or online.
I hope that helps some!
tb said:
Hi, grumpycat,
My knees are super painful, are there splints for the knees as well?
GrumpyCat said:
You have weakness in the muscles in your hands related to nerve entrapment/ impingement or more simply, carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. You also have neuropathic pain. Pain caused by irritation of the nerves in your hands. It can cause all of the symptoms that you described above. I hope makes it a little less muddy for you :-P
On the bright side, the surgery is a cinch if you have a good surgeon. Even better, patients feel relief from the numbness and tingling right away. It is replaced with surgical pain, but that is much more tolerable and temporary. when you see the surgeon, you can ask if a steroid injection would be helpful in reducing the pain. Some doctors do them in office and they can be very helpful in reducing inflammation and pain.
Splinting can help a lot in the interim. I have two kinds of splints that I use; one type for day and one for night. The day one is lightweight and has openings in it so that I don't get sweaty and itchy on the inside. I also don't feel like it restricts my movement too much. The night one is bulkier and has more padding. I think it's pretty comfortable to sleep in. There are many splints to choose from and they all fit differently. If you decide to get one, Make sure that you try on several to find the best fit. I got the day splint from a medical supply store and the night splint from CVS. I'll try to post a picture if you would like.
I wear the splints when I am active, but I take them off periodically and stretch and do a little range of motion exercise. It is especially good to wear them when you are on the computer, or anytime you are doing a repetitive activity for a long period of time.
Of course, you can also try ice along with splinting. Apply ice 20 minutes every hour. It can reduce the inflammation that is causing pain, and may provide some relief. Also, when you are resting, try to elevate your arms on a pillow.
I am really sorry that your hands are bothering you. It is definitely painful and frustrating. We use are hands all the time and it is tough when they decide to stop working! I hope you get some relief soon.
Axanol loss is caused by nerve compression or (surprise) inflammation. Have they refered you to a hand surgeon or are you assuming you have carpal tunnel? Even though you have two different things they may actually be related (or the same) and carpal tunnel surgery (which is a bear) might not help. There are two different tests done in an EMG.
Hi,tntlamb, the EMG doc said I have carpal tunnel in both hands. My rheumy said my wrists are fusing & causing the carpal tunnel. I am waiting for an appointment to see the hand surgeon to get his recommendation. I am dropping everything, I have trouble picking up things, I have no strength in my hands and if I drive my hands go numb....which scares me to death. It matters not one way or the other if I wear the splints. I sleep with them & wake in horrible pain & I have thrown them across the room. I have resorted to coating my hands in ben-gay & sleeping in gloves so not to get the mess all over my sheets. It's a good thing I am already divorced or I am sure no man would of put up with that. LOL It seems it is the only way to hold off the pain long enough to get a few hours of sleep. I am afraid I am desperate for relief & would try anything at this point. But thanks so much for your ever valuable info.
tntlamb said:
Axanol loss is caused by nerve compression or (surprise) inflammation. Have they refered you to a hand surgeon or are you assuming you have carpal tunnel? Even though you have two different things they may actually be related (or the same) and carpal tunnel surgery (which is a bear) might not help. There are two different tests done in an EMG.
Axonal loss is indeed caused by compression and/or inflammation. It can also be as a result of carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s, medial cubital tunnel syndrome, focal neuropathy, etc… (These are all conditions that effect the hands.) Unfortunately, with PsA we are more prone to these because of the inflammation & swelling that we experience and their effects on the anatomy of our hands. Sometimes, the symptoms (pain and numbness) can be relieved by simply treating the underlying cause (PsA under control=reduced swelling and inflammation). There are also cases where these conditions can be treated with locally administered steroid injections, and modifying how you do activities with your hands. There are also surgical options if the less invasive approaches do not work. There is now an endoscopic option for carpal tunnel surgery that has less postoperative pain and shorter recovery time.
Following up with a hand guy will get you started on some sort of treatment in order to prevent and possible further nerve damage.
