I tried earlier to post something but even though I clicked keep me logged in I think it kicked me off.
I will start with just giving my symptoms.
My fingers are swollen and red especially from the knuckles up and very painful. I have tingling and numbness in my fingers as well as the tops of my hands, all the way up my arms. I have pain in my neck that radiates through my upper back and shoulders. I also get pain in my chest which feels tender to the touch almost like a pulled muscle but at times it hurts really bad and it almost makes me feel like I might be having a heart attack.

Welcome to NT!

I'm sorry you are having these pain issues. You've sure come to the right place for support and understanding.

Have you seen a doctor about these symptoms? If so, have they given you any ideas? There are so many different types of pain. It can be an exhausting effort to pin down what's going on.

A good place to start might be the Peripheral Neuropathy forum. Here's the link to take you there:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=20

Look thru the different forums and post anywhere. Be sure to pay special attention to the sections at the top of each forum, called the 'Stickies'. Lots of good info there.

I hope you will get some answers very soon.
It's great to have you here!

Rae

I did see an orthopedic assistant because the doctor was months out. He ran blood test which came back negative for lupus and RA. He also took X-rays of my hands and an Emg which came back negative for carpal tunnel. He said he didn't know what was wrong, gave me a shot of cortisone in each arm and said he was going to refer me to a rheumatologist.
My husband recently had neck surgery by an neurosurgeon, so he said I should cut to the chase and see him. I'm not sure if this is jumping the gun.

You might also want to explore on our Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) forum-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum24.html

Can you hold your hands up in a "stick em up" posture while opening & closing the hands for very long?
Do they get heavy, tingly , turn white?

Useful TOS sticky info thread -http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84.html

Welcome

Yes, it does sound like TOSSymptoms, with some cervical problems, too.

You do need a good diagnosis before doing too muck on your own.

I used pillows, oversized tennis balls and balloons to get more omfortable.

I also found that keeping my neck, arms and hands leece warm helped relieve pain.

You can find some peace in knowing those tests are normal. That's great.

EMGs don't always give the best results.

MRIs are great for soft tissue problems.

Hope you find out what's causing you these problems.

Take care...

Do you think seeing a neurosurgeon is a good place to go from here? I don't want to waste a lot of time. I think some of mine could be work related but I don't want to waste time, Work injuries seem to get the shaft.

I did try lifting my arms opening and closing hands. I can tell my left hand is much worse than the right. I have tingling, numbness pain shoots up my arm and my back, and shoulder area right below my neck, knots up and burns.

You might ask your doctor for a comprehensive evaluation by an advanced/expert PT person. They tend to take more time and do 'hands on" tests & postures to track down a cause.