diagnostical testing questions
 

did any of you have to tell your doctors which tests you want specifically?

so far ive only had
nerve tests
and x-rays

and im going to get an mri of my neck but ive read on here of different people getting ultrasound tests, etc. is it normal to have to go into request these? i admit i never have much faith that doctors know what theyre doing :/ this does not help, having to research which tests i need. i feel like they should be helping me with this.

which test would better show inflammation and/or scar tissue, an mri or an ultrasound?

[/end rant]

termography, but it is not so usefull;

What areas were x rayed? C spine ? T spine?
With your whole ribs sx, I would think a full spine or at both those mentioned, since you mention possible scoliosis too.
there is also rotational scoliosis...where the spine will twist as well as curve to the sides.

I would assume:o that if anything suspicious shows up on x rays, then MRI or CT should be the follow up.

From what you have been describing neuro seems to be mainly more of your sx than vascular type. but I may have forgotten all the sx listed.

You might re list all your sx in this thread, maybe the worst first and then down to least.
might help us suggest the best testing ideas for you.


I hope some that know will answer this one.
[which test would better show inflammation and/or scar tissue, an mri or an ultrasound?]

I would like to know if any of the tests will show scar tissue, because I don't recall if it has been mentioned before.
Only thing I recall reading here is during the surgery the Dr finds it and cleans it out.

k long post warning, it's very hard to describe all of the sx ive had :o


the xrays i had were of my neck and my right shoulder
they both came back completely normal.
ive had 2 people say i dont have scoliosis! so weird. is it even possible to have rotational scoliosis and not regular scoliosis

i think my sx are (or were, more vascular too)
unfortunately i believe i gave myself neuro sx by doing a bad stretch back in oct. that's why im asking about inflamation and scar tissue..im wondering if a stretch injury to the bp would elevate my rib even further and then lead to neck spasms which i never had before. my pt cant get my rib to budge AT ALL which is just weird to me.

sx last march
--episodes of swelling around elbows when on comp then
--one day period of shooting pains and intense swelling in both arms, especially triceps area, not able to bend or straighten arms for a few days.
pinching in elbows and shoulders after that
heavy feeling
numb dead fingers and hands
my serratus anterior area to this day has been constant. feeling heavy and warm...

then in OCT
i overstretched my neck/bp area and was bedridden,neck and shoulders ON FIRE for a few days
then burning around shoulders and back, can't sit for more than 20 minutes at a time
cant turn head or look down for months or else burning
arms were less swollen feeling bc i started observing posture and sleeping on my BACK HUUUGE difference. pinched elbows and shoulder calmed way down.


now
my whole upper body feels warmish and heavy
my right has frozen shoulder i guess? that side has a droopy stiff shoulder. it's also the side that gets "swollen" altho much less than it used to... so im thinkin vascular. when i walk my left arm swings and my right doesn't!
no elbow pain
much less arm pain. its mainly above elbows. heavy and dead.
i can sit w/o burning but i avoid sitting and looking down
fingers constantly dead/tired still. i do not double click on my mouse bc it's too exhuasting. i hold a marker in my hand and push with that. i have been this way since last march. back then my arm pain was so bad i couldnt type at all. now i can type a few sentences at a time but then i get too tired to cont.
my ribs are very warm and tender..when i did resistance band stretches a few times (shudder) i believe they only inflamed my ribs even more. i think my ribs were ALWAYS tender i was jsut so obsessed with arm pain i brushed it off.

i found a book on my bookshelf and it reminded me i read the whole book in 2 days one year ago. i could NOT hold the book open but i could look down completely normal. no spasms. i cant do that now. i get neck spasms on my left (elevated rib cage) side when leaning forward or riding the bus aggravates it, seat belts etc. usually they aren't that bad tho.. however once i got them so bad that i felt like i was going to vomit.

im getting a neck mri 2 weeks from now and im wondering what other tests i should ask for. i cant even see a neurologist til june. and i guess that's when ill get the bp mri but im wondering if i should try sonogram and other stuff first

oh and i always get tingling when i lay down on the tops of all my fingers
and my fingers tingle doing the allens test

bp(? around there) itches and is warm...rarely pins n needles

i decided im going to go in and ask for an US or something to test blood flow

the axillary artery is in the exact place where ive felt dead/swelling for the longest