RSD/CRPS muscle spasms and crippled fingers - any advice?
 

I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome by dr. Bowser at Kaiser - BTW, don't ever go to her, folks! Not only she is ignorant, she really does not care. Lost 2.5 months fighting against steroid injection and CTS diagnosis until finally got a referral from her to PT.

I got a chiropractor treatment, who determined that I had a pinched nerve in my neck, shoulder and elbow which caused the symptoms of numbness, swelling and tingling pain. She released the nerve and I have been working with PT and chiropractor to clear the pinched nerve problem.

PT told me that I most likely have CRPS. All I read online tells me that it is CRPS. I am also seeing acupuncturist. He rid me of severe pains, improved my upper back, shoulders and neck muscles and put me on a strict diet to reduce inflammation in hands.

I am now left with crippled, painful fingers and can't type or use mouse. My job requires computer work. Not sure what to do. Acupuncturist seems to be stuck with it, it is getting worse. Also, muscle weakness is spreading to arms and I started feeling pain and stiffness in my elbows and knees. I need this job to pay my medical bills (Kaiser does not cover my chiro or acupuncture) and there was no work-related or other injury - this thing came out of a blue sky.

Advice, anybody?

Mirror work might help you. Essentially you hide the CRPS hand behind a mirror while moving and looking at a reflection of your good hand in the mirror.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FR6Q4Z0GXK0

Heated salt water therapy. Infared heat therapy. Epsom salts soaks. MSM lotion.

Have you heard of LDN?

Hi and Welcome,

I am sorry for the issue with your hand and the frustrations figuring out what is wrong.

Whether you have CRPS or not is best determined by a doctor with a lot of experience treating it, usually a Pain Management doctor. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. There are several things that mimic the symptoms and for your long term well being I am on the side of making sure there is absolutely nothing else going on. Paralysis in your hand should be treated urgently if there is a treatable cause. Get a second opinion and third and fourth if needed...this is your future and I'm sure you don't want to settle for it being CRPS if there is a treatable problem causing it.

Possibilities to consider as far as work up are getting an Nerve Conduction Study done to see if you are getting nerve signal in your crippled hand. CRPS usually has normal NCS except in the face of a known nerve injury. A hand specialist, pain management or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation doctor could order this for you. An MRI of your hand and/or spine may helpful as well. See a neurosurgeon if you need to. Various spinal issues can cause the symptoms you have and any impingement needs to be looked at. I am fan of chiro and acupuncture myself but they don't have the same diagnostic training and imaging may be your friend on this one.

If everything is okay and you indeed have CRPS there are options for treatment and many stories of hope of improvement. Keep gently using your hand as you can until you find out the problem. Just be careful you aren't causing more flare up.

Please come let us know what happens. I hope you find relief and answers soon, :hug:

Hello and, unfortunately, welcome to Neurotalk. I don't have much more advice to give that the others haven't already covered. If it is indeed CRPS, and even if it isn't, find a good PM, and PT. You want to treat aggressively and keep things moving as much as possible without causing further flare ups or damage. Like Littlepaw said, CRPS is a diagnosis of exclusion. Make sure it is not something else, something that may respond well to treatment or possibly even curable.

We are a friendly group of people here. If you have any questions, or even just want to talk or vent, please feel free to share. We are here to listen and help each other along the way.

Thank you! Mirror cannot work for me as both of my hands are crippled now. I use Epsom salt soaks but not much help. Will try heated salt water. Looks like LDN has a promise.

Littlepaw and PurpleFoot, thank you so much for your warm welcome! I finally got a referral to Pain Management doctor after I changed my primary doctor at Kaiser. New one seems to feel that she needs to do something when her patient is in bad shape. Will go as soon as I can get an appointment.

T

Please please, read on our thoracic outlet syndrome forum (TOS) for short..
What you describe ( i bolded) really sounds like TOS, a pinched nerve in neck/collarbone area.
TOS & CRPS have many overlapping symptoms.
But there are some differences and different treatments.
TOS is often not even mentioned by most drs.
You may have to press for best care if you feel it fits for you..

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

Jo*mar, thank you so much for the pointer! It does look like a possibility but it does not seem to explain muscle and tendon's spasms and contractures of my fingers. Is it possible with TOS?