How to tell if really nerve pain?
 

Hi, I am having all of these pains in my left arm. The are all over, come for a few seconds or minutes then leave. They are sharp. But also feel like they could be a muscle pain where the muscle is stiff or sore. I am having a hard time figuring this out. My muscles are not cramping where it contracts. Any feedback is appreciated!

Hi Twitchwitch,

It is not uncommon for more than one thing to be going on at the same time. My Hypersensitivity (Allodynia) is coupled with weak and burning muscles, especially in my legs.

It can be difficult pinpointing the exact cause of one's pain - neurological/musculoskeletal/both/other - all we know is it hurts like H… and makes everything difficult. It is in the Lap of the Gods whether one finds a good Dr to give an exact dx so treatment can follow.

I wish you luck with your Infusion, but can offer no insight, my Infusions are just Lidocaine for pain relief. I do believe there is something in Traditional Chinese Medicine, I have had both Western and Eastern trained Practitioners carry out Acupuncture on me and Eastern is best by far.

Dave.

A good PT may be able to help you sort it out. When my shoulder was frozen and I was having awful pain running from my upper arm down into my wrist, a sort of sharp achey pain when I was stretching it, she said definitely nerve pain. Of course you have no continuous muscle running from upper arm to wrist. It was an a-ha moment! At the time I would have sworn muscle pain, but it made sense.

Honestly, a good PT is worth their weight in gold. And, I never would have said this a year ago, a chiropractor. I found one who is super knowledgeable, gentle, knows what my limitations are--basically, NOT a twister or jerker. Weekly, I get an upper body massage for an hour and then she does a spinal adjustment. I really have felt better overall since starting this.

I know the value of a good PT! They've saved me so many times! There are not many chiropractors in Germany, mainly, they are orthopedic doctors and they do some kinds of chiropractic therapy. Mine is on vacation for 2 weeks but I will ask him about adjustments.

The pain in my arm isn't like throughout the arm from top to bottom at the same time. I mean...like some pain in my forearm (only), then it will be in my upper arm (only). But the same kind of pain...

I had this as well with the frozen shoulder. Sometimes just my armpit, or deltoid, or forearm. Same intensity and feeling of pain, but it moved around. It was when I went to my PT and she would stretch it beyond what I could at home, I felt that pain from the top of the arm down into my wrist. So that was when I was able to identify it all as nerve pain, and not originating from muscle.

Hi, and welcome...my nerve pain is different each time; and now taking medication is reacts differently...but I do know what you are talking about. My arms and leg ones are sometimes like you described....isolated and sometimes full limb.....keep up the fight....:grouphug:

I have SFN and have pains like you describe, mostly in my legs, no cramping. It feels like being stabbed by a whole bunch of knives at the same time. Comes on quickly and moves all over my thighs, shins, and calves. Sometimes feels achy like a sore muscle. I know that it's nerve pain because it quickly goes away if I get up and walk around, and also isn't there later or the next day like it would be if it were a muscle injury.