Are there ever visual signs of carpal tunnel syndrome?!


Question: I am being treated for tennis elbow and they say that is all i have just on an exam.xray ruled out arthritis.3 months ago i began having pain in my R elbow and arm also in my wrist with numbing and tingling in my fingers.Also with electric shock feelings going from elbow to hand which were very painful.worse at night.also have some pain in L arm but was not as bad.OT for 2 weeks,therapist didnt know what to do as she had not seen something this bad ever.Loss of strength a great deal.Dropping stuff, hand cramping up with extreme pain in palm. Cortisone shot, seemed to make it worse. then casted on my R arm so i did not use it. OT another 2 weeks. I am at my 2nd week w/o cast and my arm is only getting worse by the day it seems. I have recently noticed while streatching my hand out there is a bulge on underside of my R wrist. Alot of pain from back of elbow over and down my arm diagonally as if to follow a tendon or something and into my wrist, and hand.Cts?maybe that and more?Thanks!


Answers: I am being treated for tennis elbow and they say that is all i have just on an exam.xray ruled out arthritis.3 months ago i began having pain in my R elbow and arm also in my wrist with numbing and tingling in my fingers.Also with electric shock feelings going from elbow to hand which were very painful.worse at night.also have some pain in L arm but was not as bad.OT for 2 weeks,therapist didnt know what to do as she had not seen something this bad ever.Loss of strength a great deal.Dropping stuff, hand cramping up with extreme pain in palm. Cortisone shot, seemed to make it worse. then casted on my R arm so i did not use it. OT another 2 weeks. I am at my 2nd week w/o cast and my arm is only getting worse by the day it seems. I have recently noticed while streatching my hand out there is a bulge on underside of my R wrist. Alot of pain from back of elbow over and down my arm diagonally as if to follow a tendon or something and into my wrist, and hand.Cts?maybe that and more?Thanks!

The feeling of a brief electric shock is definitely a carpal tunnel syndrome.

The bulge seems to be a painful bursitis, a sign of inflammation for which you should get a prescription of Celebrex and acetaminophen. It could be a sign of a more serious problem, i.e. chronic, generalized rheumatoid arthritis.

Here's the recommended treatment for a carpal tunnel syndrome (NSAIDs or Celebrex, and vitamin B6 for a minimum of 3 months):

Holm G, Moody LE, Carpal tunnel syndrome: current theory, treatment, and the use of B6, (2003) 15 Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner 18-22.

PURPOSE: To present the current state of the science of pathophysiology, assessment and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, including the use of pyridoxine (vitamin B6). DATA SOURCES: Selected research articles, texts, Websites, personal communications with experts, and the authors' own clinical experience.

CONCLUSIONS: Much is yet to be learned about carpal tunnel syndrome. While the basic treatment of NSAIDs and nighttime splints seems universally accepted, much controversy remains. The use of vitamin B6 as a treatment is one such controversy requiring further investigation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Current treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome should include NSAIDs, nighttime splinting, ergonomic workstation review, and vitamin B6, 200 mg per day [for a minimum of 3 months].

For your bursitis, and should you develop a chronic, generalized form of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, you should consult an orthopaedist. Here is what you should know:

Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.

I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis for more than 27 years. The telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid Factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR).

NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

For any form of arthritis, you should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www.aaos.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.

The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org

Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For more info, please join the antibio group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...

http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec04/ch042/ch...

If you're overweight you're much more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome because fat builds up in your wrist and in other areas where it really doesn't need to be and causes pressure on nerves.

EKG will determine if you have or not.

Carpal Tunnel will have a small swelling to large bumps associated with this. It could also be tendinitis. An infection in the tendon sheathe.





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