tinglingand frozen fingers in right hand with pain in upper arm and shoulder.

by Len
(West Kelowna, BC, Canada)

In 2010 I had a severe auto accident and experienced a blackout. Very soon I experienced a lot of pain, headaches etc, mostly from my left side of neck to thee brain and very stiff neck rotations. After months of chiropractic, massage therapy, IMS treatments and physiotherapy the pain continued. In 2012 I went to Dr. Canepa in San Clemente Calif. where I was examined and treated for a severe misalignment of the Atlas and Axis vertebrae. (out by 35% or more) This helped to relieve the severe headaches and other head pain on the left side but what is now still existing in the right shoulder from the right side of neck to shoulder /arm, but did not stop the tremors and shaking in right hand, arm and leg. My Right hand is now curled like a hook and is painful to stretch and straighten out.


I've seen 3 neurologists who all say my symptoms are Parkinson's. but there is no scientific way to actually test for PK. However before the auto accident, I had absolutely no health issues, very active using my right hand for everything and certainly nothing resembling Parkinson's. I have been on sinimet (4/day now)for Parkinson's for a year, but it has done very little to reduce or help control the tremors.
I was right handed but now I have virtually lost the use of my right arm and hand. Raising my right arm over my head often provides relief and short term rest. Having read some of your reports, testimonials, I'm wondering if this is actually TOS? Doctors seem to want to just pass this off as early stage Parkinson's but I'm not fully convinced that this is so.
Can you advise and recommend a trustworthy chiropractor in my area to test for TOS (and Adison's test, and negative upper limb tension)

Hello Len,
It's the fool who makes diagnoses without any examination, or access to the patient, but I'm nevertheless going to take a dip in the water with my oar.

Has anyone mentioned causalgia, or reflex sympthetic dystrophy?

It's a particuarly nasty condition that comes after a peripheral nerve has been injured. Because arteries have nerves, this one, like TOS, also affects the blood supply to the arm, but via a quite different mechanism.

So you are on the right track, but I doubt this is TOS; it wouldn't cause the severe changes in your hand.

I have treated the odd case of causalgia successfully, it's not common, but never at a late stage like this, so I have no idea whether more chiropractic would help.

Stretching out the affected muscles and joints certainly is effective in the early stages. Now it's likely to be very painful and just how much it would help I don't know. On the other hand if you do nothing, it'll probably only get worse.

I hope I'm wrong, and probably am, seeing you have been examined by so many specialists.

The test for thoracic outlet syndrome is Adson's test; testing the pulse in the forearm whilst you contort you neck and take in a deep breath. Use the site search function at C-H to find information on the test. I'm just wondering if causalgia would also cause a positive Adson's test. I'm not sure.

Also relief from raising your arm is not typical of TOS; it would worsen the pain and tingling. What you have is a positive Shoulder abduction relief sign. Use that site search too for SAR. It would be virtually impossible to do the ULTT test on you.

You almost certainly had more than one injury; great that Dr Canepa could help the upper cervical injury, but this one is in your lower neck; in fact it could even be in the brain.

A little question: do you have any jaw joint issues? That too can cause facial pain.

In short, I doubt TOS.

Let me know, would you; nasty for you but your question has aroused my curiosity. Keep to this thread.

Again, hope I'm wrong.

Dr b

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Jan 30, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Pain in left side from shoulder to fingers
by: Suricha

Hi, lately I’m having pain on my left shoulder straight down to my fingers; the tingling is increasing every day for the past two weeks; although I am going to the physiotherapist I feel like it’s not helping.

Also I did an mri six months ago; it said three disc have slipped and now starting to bulge; as I said the pain in the left side started two weeks ago, I normally get this pain on my right side of neck come like every year; sometimes less c5 and c6 most affected area.

Right now I am trying to avoid using pain killers but when I lie down the pain eases up; I have arthritis in my spine; that’s what the doctor says.

Hoping for some feed back; my doctor says surgery but I don’t want that can you help me please. Thanks.

Hello Suricha,
I would start with a home traction unit that you use every day for at least 20 minutes; I prefer the lying down kind, but there are also sitting types. They are not very expensive.

Frankly it's one of the most difficult conditions faced by chiropractic too, so I can't promise you that a visit to your local DC would be straight forward.

Start with that traction.

Please don't write again on a cellphone.

Dr B
Feb 08, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		right arm frozen fingers
by: Anonymous

I pulled my left chest side deep in after and a week and a half later now my right arm feels weird tight joints and hard too write, what is it Please?It hurts when I lift both shoulders hurt!??

I'm sorry but I don't understand your smartphone English. Please go to Chiropractic Help again and in the navigation bar on the left find Midback pain. At the bottom of the page write your question, giving far more details and be more explicit. I'm unable to reply to your blog above.

From a computer please; Google punishes sites that use cellphone grammar.

Dr B
Aug 04, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		neck upper back and both hands
by: Michael Kincaidn

Upper back and neck pain both hands numb and feel like they both are both very depressed and angry,please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Michael,

Please give a lot more detail for a cogent answer. And, please start a new thread.

Dr B

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