Rehabilitation of the hand and upper extremity
Common Questions and Answers about Rehabilitation of the hand and upper extremity
rehab
A good reconstructive hand surgeon can repair these problems but the rehabilitation is difficult, and long. But, to have a normally functioning hand, many make that sacrifice. You need to contact your primary care physician and get a referral to a hand surgeon.
3 years ago, a gradual hand pain began in my wrist, hand, and mainly thumb. I wore a brace, did physical therapy, even got a cortisone shot. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel, then tendonitis, then tenosynovitis, and then pronator teres syndrome. I finally just learned to limit myself and deal with it. Now (3 years later) a stabbing pain in my shoulder blade began that crawls up into my neck that is definitely connected to my hand pain.
It could be due to compression of the spinal nerves at the cervical spine level or, ulnar nerve at the elbow level. Hypothyroidism, diabetes, tumors and infections of the ulnar and spinal nerves and rheumatism can all cause numbness of little and ring finger. Very cold climate, peripheral vascular disease (ruled out by duplex ultrasound and dopplar studies), panic disorder, leprosy, and alcoholic neuropathy are the other causes.
Hope these tips help.
When scalene muscle is the cause of pain, the pain is referred chest, inner lining of scapula, shoulder, posterior and lateral sides of the arm right up to the thumb and index finger. When this muscle shortens, this can press on brachial plexus and the subclavian artery and can compress or irritate these structures and cause symptoms such as abnormal sensation, cold extremity, claudication, and lymphedema in the involved extremity.
If things have calmed down, should I expect the fine motor control muscles to regain some sort of strength and tone? Or should I get more of the theraputty and go to work at the various squeezing and such?
Also, would the results of an EMG be any different based on symptoms? A hand specialist has referred me out to have them performed again, this time with a emphasis on neck-to-wrist.
Also(2) any other ideas on diagnostic tests or specialist to see?
Teko is correct, it could be a pinched nerve in your spine. However it is usually not the upper and lower extremity that is involved when a nerve is compressed. You may have other spinal structure issues that need to be addressed.
It may not be spine related at all. Your PCP might want to take a look at your muscle health or your over all general health.
Stress can do a lot to our bodies and cause many seemingly mysterious symptoms.
Now, slightly more then 20 years later, I still have some remaining numbness in much of my hand and parts of my upper and lower arm. The entire extremity does fatigue very quickly when working although I seem to continue on without much hindrance. More of an annoyance then anything else. Marijuana, which I rarely smoke, is the quickest and most effective relief for any pain. The first four months after surgery were extremely painful and it took about a year for most of the recovery.
I also had an aching pain that radiated from my shoulder down my arm and a constant headache at the back of my head. I had physiotherapy for six weeks and the symptoms, for the most part, went away. Now I have new symptoms that started last week which may or may not be related. My upper shoulders and neck are in spasms but now my back is stiff and I have sciatic type pain in my left leg, cramps in my thigh and aching hips. Do you think these new symptoms are related?
Hi. I am a 41 year old woman, healthy but have lots of stress. During the night I woke up with my right hand and right side of my head extremely numb and tingling, ("pins and needles"). It took about 20 minutes for the hand numbness to go away but after 4 hours, I still have numbness in my fingertips. The right side of my head is better but not completely and I have a headache with pressure. I just don't feel right. What could be the cause of this and should I be worried.
I am looking for the chain of events that ultimately results in the disposal of the extravascular iron deposits resulting from a simple bruise of the upper extremity. Hemosiderin, a globular protein, the primary Fe store must be denatured in some way to release the stored iron. Just unclear as to how the iron is released and how it is cleared from the extravascular space.
Sometimes it feels like it kind of goes up into the right backside of my neck. And sometimes my arm and hand feels the same way. I've also noticed that at times my fingers feel like they can't grab or hold as good as they normally do. But, overall, it's mostly just my right shoulder blade area that feels like this. It's very strange. Most of my other symptoms have been on my lower extremities.
I am having pain and burning in the upper right side of my back, below the shoulder but just above the mid section of my back with the same pain and burning shooting down the back side of my arm, it also pains me when I bend my head down for a while and turn from side to side it gets really stiff and painful, PLEASE HELP!!!
This discussion is related to <a href='/posts/show/296809'>Shoulder, Upper arm pain, upper mid back........pinched Nerve</a>.
I had microdisectomy surgery 2 months ago and 1 week into my recovery started to experience severe left arm pain (elbow down). While in the hospital my IV was in my left arm and when they sent me home my arm was significantly swollen. My back surgeon had me get a cervical spine (neck) MRI that was clean then referred me to a doctor who conducted a nerve function test. My test results were sent to an upper extremity specialist who reviewed the results and sent me for an MRI of my arm.
Hey,
I am sorry to hear about your father.
As you have experienced with your father, stroke is a common and a serious condition. The way that our brain reacts following a stroke is pretty much amazing. In case of your father, regaining his abilities to walk and talk is good expected. The fact that the hand is still "paralyzed" (although I won't call it paralysis) is because the upper limb's functional use in normal individuals is very complicated.
37 year old female presented with ataxia, lower extremity numbness, blurred vision, eye pain and unilateral hearing loss. MRI of the brain and spinal cord were negative. Evoked potentials demonstrated a spinal cord lesion. Optho diagnosed optic neuritis with a positive OCT test. The hearing loss has no other cause, but is being worked up. Over the next few months, hand numbness and weakness developed as did further lower extremity numbness and left sided foot drop.
Hi Everyone!
Hope everyone is feeling okay. Question, I'm undx, and in limboland, I'm in more of a" could very well be MS, lets see", mode. I've had some weakness in my hands, where it's hard to open things or really grip things, drop things etc etc. My main problems are on my left side. My question is, if you have weakness in your arm from MS, would the arm tend to kind of hang limp when standing? Could this be from ms. Every so often it feels like jello.
On examination, the edema is diffuse, causes a typical mound on the dorsum (back part) of the foot or hand, and is only partially pitting (compressible). There are usually no skin changes in the acute period and the veins are not distended. When lymphedema is due to infection, the response to antistreptococcal antibiotics is rapid. If antibiotics are given for only a brief period (1 week), relapses are common.
I got the COVID vaccine and 5 days later developed stiff, weak hands and weakness plus tiredness in forearms/tendons. Doc says could be from vaccine because it is bilateral and timed with vaccine. Was placed on steroids and symptoms improved but still have some weakness/easily fatigued grip.
I have hashimotos and read that RA often accompanies this. Just looking for some input support. Doc is doing a complete autoimmune work up one week after I come off the steroids.
The past few years the pain has been be really bad in y right shoulder as well. The front of my should near the chest area and the shoulder blade. I am unable to wear a bra strap as this increases the shoulder/arm pain. The pain in constant and worse with activity such as brushing my hair, cooking/stirring, lifting, writing, swimming, carrying anything. The right hand/arm is always freezing cold and my hand/fingers are swollen 24/7.I cannot sleep on my right side.
A year later patient reports bilateral upper extremities weakness, pain, paresthesia with touch and proprioception symptoms as well as shooting pain and weakness on extension of arms. Patient reports bilateral medical elbow pain and inability to hold even lightweight items with arms extended Unfortunately, patient reports bilateral lower extremity “deep ache” and “heavy feeling” as well as bladder and bowel changes.
Recommended
