Hello, I'm new here.

Since about April of this year, I have experienced numbness in my hands following a "wheel barrel" race were I was walking on my hands.

My doctor began treating me for a pinched nerve in my neck with acupuncture and massage therapy. However, the symptoms have gotten worse. The numbness has progressed to swollen fingers, stiffness related pain, and now a kind of burning pain in my hands, that occaisionally moves up my arms. When this happens it is mind splitting pain. I have a hard time sleeping at night when it seems to act up.

This past week, I went and got an MRI and here are the results:

FINDINGS:

Alignment and osseous structures:
Straightening of the normal lordosis of the cervical spine, this indicates paraspinal muscle spasm. There is normal vertebral alignment. There is no obvious spondylolysis or listhesis. The visualized vertebrae demonstrate normal height and signal intensities. There are marginal small anterior osteophytes (spur) at the C5 to C7 vertebrae. The atlanto-axial joint space is normal.
Intervertebral disc spaces:
There are changes of disc desiccation throughout the cervical spine. The disc heights are normal.
Level by Level analysis:
C2-C3: There is no focal disc pathology, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis.
C3-C4: 2 mm broadbased right paracentral disc protrusion effaces the ventral thecal sac without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
C4-C5: There is no focal disc pathology, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis.
C5-C6: 2 mm broadbased posterior disc protrusion effaces the ventral thecal sac without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
C6-C7: There is no focal disc pathology, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis.
The cervical cord is normal in signal intensity.
Paravertebral soft tissue is unremarkable.

IMPRESSION:
1. Early degenerative change in the cervical spine with paraspinal muscle spasm. No obvious spondylolysis or listhesis.
2. At C3-C4, 2 mm broadbased right paracentral disc protrusion without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
3. At C5-C6, 2 mm broadbased posterior disc protrusion without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.

So, I'm wondering...

1) Is this the cause of the condition in my hands?

2) If so, what kind of treatment should I seek?

3) If not, what could it be?

Thank you for your help.

Welcome to Neuro Talk. I can help a bit. You might have more muscle spasms than anything else. It is unusual to present with neurological symptoms in your arms however. Usually that happens when the Neural foraminal is being touched or pushed in on with a herniation. That is the inside of the spine where the nerves run through. Nothing on your MRI says severe, or even moderate impingement of the nerves. That is good. I would try what ever your doctor recommends, PT, maybe an injection, something for swelling, or spasms. You don't want to think about surgery when there is only a mild issue. Surgery is a last resort. What has your doctor recommended? I am here to listen. ginnie

Think of the spine as a ladder held in place by bungee cords. Albeit strong ones. Now imagine they contract suddenly and asymmetrically this will cause the rigid bone structure to abrade and pinch the nerves that exit the ladder that the bones form. This contraction causes the nerves to send impulses to the brain that can say your hands hurt.

And here's the dichotomy your hands (if it is you spinal nervous system) haven't really been damaged. It's the spinal nerves sending erroneous messages to the brain. That said there's a lot of damage you could have really done to the actual nerves that are in you arm, wrist and hand structure.

Have they eliminated this possibility?

This could be a type of "strain" or injury related to the activity you did.

The nerves and blood flow that run thru the neck/collarbone areas could have gotten pinched /irritated, and now muscle spasms have joined in. Muscles & trigger points can affect the nerves too. A pinch or compression up in the neck can appear as hand/arm pain/sx.

I suggest exploring the sticky threads on our thoracic outlet syndrome forum. Also called TOS for short.

Have you ever had a whiplash type injury, desk or repetitive job, poor upper body posture? These can all play a part in the possible development of TOS.

Can you hold your arms up like "stick em up" opening & closing hands for very long? Do they turn white, get heavy, more pain?
more info here on TOS forum-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum24.html