Specialist Recommendation - Trying to Help my Dad
My Dad has been experiencing a burning sensation in his hands for over two years. He's been to the following doctors/practitioners far with no diagnosis or relief:
GP
Chiropractor
Acupuncturist
Orthopedist
Orthopedic Surgeon
Pain Management
Neurologist
Hand specialist
He has been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, herniated disks, arthritis and a misaligned spine. All of which are said to not be the cause of the burning sensation.
He had a neck surgery a little over a year ago to correct the spinal misalignment. This didn't help the burning. He was told that it might not. He has been on about 30 different medications over the past two years (sorry, don't recall the names) and none have helped. He has also gotten cortisone shots in his neck, wrists and thumbs. Still no relief.
Does anyone have a suggestion as to a type of specialist he should see that he might have missed, or can suggest a top notch person maybe in Morristown or NYC that could possibly help figure out what is going on? He lives in Ocean County and has been seeing doctors down there, but he is willing to travel at this point to get some answers. I thought maybe someone in the "big city" might be the way to go.
My poor Dad can't take it anymore, and I hate to see him going through this. He was so active before and now he can't even ride his bicycle anymore.
Thank you very much for any assistance.
Calico696 I hope he finds some relief, calico. Maybe he already has, but has he considered a second opinion with a different neurologist?
3wbdwnj 
auntiel you might look at castle connelly website for the best doctors in the area in different specialties.............I've found it very helpful- did a quick googling and this site may help find the best direction: http://www.healthline.com/health/burning-sensation#3
4catmom Thanks 3wb. I don't believe he has seen a second neurologist, although he did see two orthopedic surgeons.
Can anyone suggest a kick ass neurologist?
BTW, I forgot that he also was sent for PT on 4 different occasions as well , had about 5 different MRIs and 2 EEGs.
antiel - I don't know the name. Nobody local, as his doctors are all in Ocean County where he lives.
hey there calico, sending prayers and good wishes to you and your dad right now,
questions:
any diabetes in the family?
what kind of work does/did he do?
burning sensation; is it worse in the finger tips? or is it the same all through the hands? does it travel up to the arms?
is it constant? or does the intensity come and go at different times?
any numbness associated with the burning?
there was a good neurologist up at Newton hospital, we saw her a long time ago, i'm no doctor, but i thought she was pretty good at the diagnosis she gave us at the time. if i can find her name somewhere i will post it back.
wishing you and your dad the best, have faith, stay the course . . .
BrotherDog Neuro all the way. Highly recommend Dr. Tonzola 973-625-8888. Don't waste his money on PT. Sounds like he need a nerve conduction study which will indicate where his pain is coming from.
Dallas I was going to suggest Jay Talsania in Allentown. I have had several issues with my hands. He is the only Dr. I trust, he has repaired every problem. He only specializes in hands and nothing else. I have had friends and family go to him, they all have had great results. Give him a google.
Rebecka Thanks BD. See answers below:
any diabetes in the family? No
what kind of work does/did he do? Retired construction operating engineer Local 825
burning sensation; is it worse in the finger tips? or is it the same all through the hands? does it travel up to the arms? Hands and arms both sometimes, but always hands.
is it constant? or does the intensity come and go at different times? Constant
any numbness associated with the burning? No
Thank you all for the other suggestions. I will read them all to my Dad. He's not computer savvy.
10yrtownie Calico - I would also recommend he get a 2nd opinion with a neurologist and visit a Rheumatologist especially if he hasn't had a complete work up for autoimmune diseases (i.e. MS, scleroderma).
Bonv 10yr - Lyrica was one of the drugs tried. Didn't help. Thanks though.
Bonv - Great suggestion! Will add it to my list.
Okay I would suggest he look into a Health Care Advocate to coordinate all of his options and specialists --- they do great work organizing therapies, prescriptions, insurance the whole kit and kaboodle -- Just a thought ---
I know of one personally - she's very lovely and does fantastic work making sense of it all --
http://www.myhealthcareconnect.com/
trekster3- Don't know if this will help....my dad (a retired union carpenter) has been having neuro issues (balance/dizziness) and he is now going for a "work-up" and consultation at JFK Neuroscience Institute. In researching DR's, I remember some who specialize in hand/feet pain, MS/Parkinson's/Huntingdon's etc. JFK is located in Edison. They have consulting dr's who look at your charts/procedures, etc plus a long detailed 12 page patient (what's been happening type) form and then they recommend to the many specialists. May be worth a look!
SS2cats My mother has been going here for 30+ years with great results. Dr.Barry Efros Rheumatology 95 Madison ave. Morristown NJ suite A04 973-540-8744.
Dam I usually have hands burning due to allergy if I take a certain medication, especially antibiotics. No skin rash, just hands burning, and just for particular medications.
Lena The one specialist I don't see there is a dermatologist. Maybe it could be scleroderma or something similar.
GC 
JrzyGirl88 Do his hands burn and itch? Or just burn? I had a burning and itching feeling that would pop up at random (no rash) but was the worst on the palms of my hands and my feet. It was much worse at night and got so bad I couldn't sleep. I went to a bunch of doctors and was initially told it was some type of allergy. After more research on my end I found that this is sometimes liver related! I had liver function panel blood work done (your GP can order this) and ended up having highly elevated liver enzymes! After surgery to remove my gallbladder and daily medication I am much more comfortable, although my liver enzymes still remain slightly raised for some reason.
It's great that you are helping your dad and being an advocate for him. I know how depressing and fustrating it is to be suffering and nothing seems to help. Keep looking into it and you will get to the bottom of it.
LM have your Rhumatologist check him for Polymyalgia Rheumatica - not sure if my spelling is correct....
jrn sorry to hear that Calico - saw this article
http://www.neuropathie.nu/english-articles/burning-tingling-pain-and-numbness-in-hands-and-feet-neurop.html
skippy Dr. Pasik at Atlantic Rheumatology in Cedar Knolls. She has been rated multiple times as a top NJ dr.
Just sayin2 I've had it in my left hand constant for 5 years. Been to 2 neurologists.
Dr. Tonzola is nice and old school. He can do nerve test. Also should get MRI.
Mine is caused by ulnar nerve entrapment and effects pinky and ring finger. I've learned to live with it as I was told it is was not bad enough for surgery and surgery doesn't always make it better. I was also on meds but didn't feel they helped.
Research ulnar nerve entrapment (opposite fingers associated with carpel tunnel). YouTube has exercises that might help and he can try sleeping with wrist splint and / or towel wrapped around elbow to keep it straight while sleeping.
Hopeful I had the same problem until I figured out when I slept I was laying my head on my arms, now I try not to lay my head on my arms and I take L-Arginine before going to bed for better circulation.
Disclaimer, I am not a Doctor
SM PREDATOR I second, third, fourth the neurologist recommendation and nerve conduction study - being in the field, I do know that there are lots of great neurologists about and JFK is wonderful - my recommendation is that you go to a teaching hospital known for neurology - you are much better off toward the city, the likelihood of having one of the better docs is higher - sorry your dad has had such a struggle...
pmnsk How old is the mattress he is sleeping on ?
He could be twisting in an un natural way when sleeping, pinching a nerve repeatidly without knowing.
Same with pillow.
Good Luck !
Steven Thank you all so much for your replies, suggestions and good wishes. I will definitely recommend him getting a second opinion from a neurologist and seeing a rheumatologist. Will recommend JFK.
The Allentown group recommended is amazing. I have gone to the other hand surgeon, Dr. Batista, they have a nerve test doc right there. It is called OAA.. They have an office in Bethlehem as well as Allentown. Good luck!!
mcdaddy Calico.........YEARS ago I was diagnosed with Lyme and BARTONELLA (spelling?) One of the symptoms was burning in my hands and feet. There are other symptoms, of course, but burning in hands is one.
If he hasnt been cked for lyme AND bartonella I would suggest it. Also, a lyme specialist, Dr. Eskow in Flemington, is who found out what was wrong with me. He not only does blood work and uses those results, but because folks can test a false neg. He diagnoses by symptoms also.
I know quite a few people that have gone almost crazy trying to find out whats wrong with them, and have gone to many doctors, to only find out it was lyme, bartonella or one of the other co infections of those little lovely ticks.
I think what happens is the worst of the symptoms is what drives folks to the doc. Some of the other symptoms, don't even come to mind when you are so focused on the worse one. This is where a specialist in lyme is the best way to go. For example he know what other symptoms to ask about. I was suffering from anxiety SO bad that that is where my focus was. However some of the other symptoms, that I really didnt think much of, and where pointed out by the doc, where word recall issues, the burning in my hands and feet, weird tingling under my skin in different areas, sensitivity to loud sounds, head aches, forgetting all sorts of things, sleeping all the time, to not being able to sleep at all, sweating more then normal........the list goes on, but because the anxiety was horrible and bothering me the most, that is what i would go to the doc for and they just put me on xanex......THEN a friend, who had similar symptoms found out what she had and I went to Dr. Eskow and found I had the lyme and Bartonella.
LONG story short, I'd take him to see Dr. Eskow or another lyme specialist, even if he's been tested before......... It can't hurt at this point.
littlelu I would take him to Columbia Presbyterian in NYC. They have the best of the best there. Anytime any of my family members had major health issues from kids to adults from cancer to heart to neurological. That was the hospital that helped. Best of luck.
Mish "People with a Bartonella infection can feel just like they are inside a burning house
People can get this disease from insect bites, coming into contact with infected pet saliva, or being scratched by an infected animal. As a result of tick bites, many people with Lyme disease also get Bartonella. They can have hot, burning, painful sensations in their feet, legs, arms, and/or hands. Other symptoms can include bouts of anxiety, irritability, and/or suicidal depression. Unfortunately, this infection can be difficult to eliminate."
I forgot the quote.....
I was just about to post about Bartonella myself. I suffered SEVERE burning in my hands and the soles of my feet, to the point that it (seriously) felt like someone was burning them with a blow torch. They also were super sensitive to touch at times and also sometimes (but not always) tingled - but in a bad, very painful needle prick way.
It took 3 years of total agony (and 4 mis-diagnoses, including MS!) to FINALLY find a Dr. that tested me for Lyme and it's co-factors. Turns out I had Bartonella and Ehrlichiosis (sp?). Once I was treated for that and the lyme, I never had the problem again.
Heidi I had Lyme over 14 yrs ago and the burning seems very familiar. I would definitely check into it. I recommend Dr. McManus, Dr. Allegra. There are a bunch in the practice but I TRUST these 2. They knew right away what it was when other doctors blamed it on my MS.
Poor guy.....
Christine Thank God they found out what you really had, Heidi.......I was on antibiotic treatments of all kinds for years. I finally got to the point where most all the symptoms were gone except for some permanent damage.
I just got diagnosed AGAIN with lyme. Pulled a deer tick off my arm and around 15 or so days later I had the rash......Grrrrrr I'm on doxy now for a month. SO hoping he will put me on it for one more month, I want to make sure we get it all.
My dad went through all of his back medical records. He did see a rheumatologist last November. He couldn't find anything that would result in the burning sensation.
He has an appointment this Thursday with the neurosurgeon who performed the neck surgery on him last year. Hopefully, he might have a fresh idea.
Calico, your father was diagnosed with stenosis and did not have corrective surgery? If it's bad, time counts on that one. A friend of mine at work had it and tried to wait it out for a convenient time in his schedule to have the surgery. He left on permanent disability because he ended up with nerve damage and lost most of the feeling in his fingers. Thankfully I had learned a lot about it watching my coworker, so when my father was diagnosed with it about 6 months later I forced him to take it seriously, and recognize that the cortisone shots were just masking the symptoms as opposed to fixing the problem. Thankfully he took me seriously, had the surgery and while he's got plenty of other issues, even issues elsewhere in his back, this is no longer one of them. In fact the other doctors who see the repairs on an MRI have commented on how well it turned out. If the stenosis is severe enough to be causing symptoms, it's causing damage, so if it's stenosis that's causing your fathers burning then time counts. As far as recommending a doctor for it, you want Dr. Patrick O'Leary from HSS. He actually didn't do my fathers surgery (he was booked up with football players and time was of the essence), the guy who actually did the surgery was Dr. Antonacci from the same office, but I believe he has since moved on to his own.
I don't want to sound too alarmist or anything, and I know that because I've had personal experience with this it MUST be the problem, right? But stenosis isn't like an immune disorder or anything, you can look at an MRI and know if it's there or not and to what degree, so if they found it while it may not be the problem in question, it's still a problem and will be on the horizon. Another thing to keep in mind, I'm not sure of your fathers condition or age but if surgery is on the horizon sometimes it's better to do it sooner than later.
Brendan Thanka Brendan. He was told the stenosis was not the cause of the burning, so no surgery done for that.
Your Dr. recommendations were exactly what I was looking for. Heavy hitters in the big city! I have noted both names in case he gets nowhere this Thursday.
Calico
I'm guessing that "construction operating engineer" means that he was a heavy equipment operator similar to what my neighbor did for JCP&L. Unfortunately for my neighbor he developed some sort of balance and speech issue which has progressively gotten worse. They were never able to find a cause, nor a way to make it better. Fortunately for your Father, you're looking out for his care and are trying to cover all the bases/possibilities.
Somewhat locally I found that Dr. Pare of the allergy group I go to in Succasunna is great as a rheumatologist. I also put in a vote for Dr. Tonzola in Denville as far as neurology goes. He treats conservatively, rather than just jumping the gun into more extreme therapy and knows what tests, such as nerve conduction would be needed. Rebecka also made a good suggestion of checking with a Vascular Specialist for possible Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Have they thoroughly reviewed any and all medications and supplements, both prescribed and unprescribed that your Father is taking to rule out the possibility of a side effect? Anything that mentions "flushing" or "numbness" should be double checked with a pharmacist or the drug manufacturer to see if "burning hands" have also been reported.
I would also think that some kind of tick-borne illness may be a possibility, but one thing I did NOT notice is anybody suggesting he see a gastroenterologist. Has his GP or any Dr. in fact done the bloodwork for the Gliadin antibody test? Does he feel bloated or have IBS-type symptoms at all? Even if not, that is another possibility that should be checked out.
The simple bloodwork may show that he needs an upper GI done to check for the possibility of Gluten intolerance. The damage done to the intestinal villi will prevent proper absorption of nutrients which may (or may not) show up on regular bloodwork. The big problem is that gluten intolerance shows up as a myriad of odd symptoms which can be diagnosed as various other issues unless one knows what they're looking for. The lack of proper nutrient absorption will cause various types and levels of neuropathy, such as burning hands and much worse if not recognized and of course treated by removal of gluten from the diet, as well as supplements for a time. Since the other doctors don't seem to be finding a root cause, I really think it would be worth his while to have that checked into, because neurologists and orthopedists aren't going to be looking down that avenue.
Best of luck to your Dad, I hope they find what's going on and are able to correct it quickly.
Phil D. Thank you Phil. I appreciate the info. I will pass it along. At this point it's just trying to touch all bases until something pops.
I didn't add this in the OP, because I didn't think it was relevant, but my dad sees his cardiologist regularly. He had a quadruple bypass 20 years ago. He has been on Zocor since then.
I don't have any specialist recommendation, but I just wanted to say I hope your dad finds some relief.
Have they ruled out side effects from the Zocor? Sometimes doctors will completely dismiss known side effects, if they are very uncommon.
Please don't misunderstand what I am about to say. I know your father is not a pet, and his doctors are not veterinarians. But I almost lost a cat to a very rare (but known and documented) side effect of a common thyroid medication. The vets (multiple) that we were seeing were focused only on her thyroid blood work, which was good because the medication was doing its job. It was only until the cat collapsed and we took her to Newton that one of the vets on duty recognized the side effect. She was taken off the medication and treated otherwise, and recovered.
I mention this because I think sometimes physicians have a lot of faith in "safe" medications, and when presented with an outlier side effect, they don't always recognize it.
In any event, I hope your father gets some answers and relief soon. It must be very uncomfortable for him to deal with. Good luck!
Aquarius So dad went to the neurosurgeon yesterday and he reviewed everything and told him that there was nothing he could really do to help him. He said there is a surgery for the spinal stenosis, but didn't think that would help the burning sensation. He suggested that he go back to the hand specialist and get another shot in each thumb. He's already gotten shots in his thumbs and also his wrists. Didn't help.
I gave him the names of the spine doctors recommended above and he is going to call Dr. Antonacci, who has an office in Hamilton, NJ if the shots in the thumbs don't work. I also reminded him to get tested for Lyme's Disease.
Aquarius - He's been on the Zocor for 20 years, very unlikely that he would have a side effect now. I did mention it to him though.
Thanks again for all the info and help.
Try medical marijuana.I have ailments that sound like your dad.I'm 65,have cut down from12 meds to 3.There is a strain of weed to help you.Go to njmmp on Google.Warning:It is very expensive.You can take it off NJ state taxes.
Pete65 Posting an update. The latest round of cortisone shots did not help at all. Dad went to see a chiropractor, in Summit, who specializes in neuropathy on Monday. He did some testing and told Dad to come back tomorrow (Thursday) to go over the results and talk with him after reviewing all of the medical records he brought with him on Monday.
Fingers crossed that he might have a plan of action.
Best of luck to you and your dad. Must be very frustrating to have a physical ailment for years that hasn't been diagnosed. I hope this is it. :)
positive Praying that your dad gets some relief. There is nothing more frustrating than pain that cannot be treated or even diagnosed.
Dansker Thanks all. I forgot to mention, this chiropractor has a belief that consistent use of statin drugs can cause these types of nerve issues. Dad has been on cholesterol meds since 1996. Maybe that is what is causing it. Who knows....
Spring fever Posting another update. After several more months of specialist visits and tests up the wahzoo, my dad is having surgery for his spinal stenosis tomorrow.
The surgeon says it's necessary to have this surgery, because if he doesn't he might lose his ability to walk eventually. That said, the surgeon said that the surgery won't necessarily fix the burning sensation in the hands. But it could. So after all of these years and all of the doctors, they still don't know what is causing the hand problem. Sigh.....
maja2 Thanks for asking. I actually just got off the phone with him 5 minutes ago. They say everything went well. They did an anterior cervical discectomy and the widened the cervical nerve canal. He has to stay over tonight and they will decide tomorrow whether he can come home or if he has to stay one more night. His last neck surgery he stayed two nights. Dr. says it could take 3-4 weeks for the burning sensation to subside, if it even does. If it does not, they can try doing a spinal stimulator implant.
Fingers crossed.
Glad to hear everything went well, Calico.
Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for a speedy recovery and good outcome.
Burning or numbness in feet or hands can be vascular or diabetic, spine, or an issue with high alcohol intake affecting veins.
It is scary getting older!
So glad they discovered the cause.
Lili I hope your dad's burning sensation dissipates for good. My brother has been going through this with his feet for years and has still not been diagnosed.
Lili - Thanks for your input. The surgery today is not necessarily the cause of the burning sensation. Only time will tell on that. My dad had a quintuple bypass in 1996, so there is a history of heart issues there. He is not diabetic and does not drink (believe it or not...LOL). He is only 74, and was so active before this all began. He's looking forward to being able to ride his bike, walk his dog etc.
Thank you everyone for your well wishes.
positive - It's insane, right? All of these doctors, specialists etc. and no answers...
I know it's crazy! They basically just gave him a bandaid. Pain killers, which will most likely after time effect his liver and/or kidneys. Not to mention addiction...good stuff. ):
Figured I would update this. Dad has been to at least a dozen more doctors in the past year, yet the problem still exists.
He had a bunch of injections in his wrists last month, but no help. The latest thing recommended is a spinal cord stimulator. He's thinking about it, but there is no guarantee that it will help the issue.
I'm completely out of ideas and suggestions as this point. It seems that he has tried every type of specialist and therapist there is.
Do you think the underlying cause may be systemic? Bloodwork such as kidney function and liver function test might give you a good idea if there is a problem there. Sometimes being on medications for other ailments for a long period of time can do liver and/or kidney damage in rare cases.
Perhaps it is even a vitamin deficiency or imbalance? It's a tough one to nail down.
As far as medication has he tried Lyrica? Someone I know took it for a nagging tingling sensation in their hands and it seemed to help. Let us know how he makes out!
Just a thought. you might try a pain doctor. They check all the nerves among other things. I went to one for neck pain. He said he couldn't do anything for me ( not the first one say that, Even a therapist said that) but try this drug. It turned out to be my miracle drug to this day.The therapist explained my back mussel pain and what I was doing to my body. I was only using my back mussels and not the front at all and was out of balance, I changed my sleeping position, and forced my self to try and stand straighter, it worked. You never know.
Old Gent Old Gent - He has been to at least a half dozen pain management doctors. None had a solution.
A friend's uncle had something similar, many tests, different doctors. Eventually he was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Not sure what type of specialist he went to, maybe a rheumatologist. Dr Zelaznika in Easton is very good.
kaci anterior cervical discectomy gave him no relief? what did the neuro surgeon say? thats pretty crazy
I would reevaluate his drugs. My doctor Changes my Cholesterol drug every once in a while. My miracle drug was Gabapentin. Gabapentin, sold under the brand name Neurontin among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain, hot flashes, and restless legs . It was not for my neck pain, but it worked. You never know
I take a morning Breakfast drink just to cover for things I may not be getting that day.
As LL said experiment with different things. Think out side of the box.
Don’t go to Dr. Zelaznka in Easton! Misdiagnosed me with Lupus. Went to Mayo Clinic....no signs of Lupus. She had me on Plaquenil and my eye sight starting getting worse. I took myself off of that drug. Read her reviews.
Happygirl Old Gent - They tried gabapentin. It did not work at all. I'm glad that he stopped taking it actually, as it's now noted as one of the next big addictive drugs out there.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/gabapentin-latest-pain-medication-in-opioid-overdoses
kaci - I believe he did see a rheumatologist at some point. Will double check with him.
Hi, I am a medical coding specialist.
Please read these (two) links to help you decide in the best direction to go:
https://www.healthline.com/health/dysesthesia#symptoms
https://www.healthhype.com/burning-fingers-and-hands-causes-and-meaning.html
Both are very informative, and can help you in the direction you need in order to help your Dad. Good luck with this.
AJMS Has he ever been hooked up to a machine, had big needles attached to a stimulator stuck in both of his arms, and been given repeated, painful electrical shocks? (It's a certain type of nerve conduction testing.)
While I was checking once again for Lyme symptoms for myself I came across this and thought about your dad. Might be worth questioning, if doctors haven’t mentioned it yet. I believe there are other causes besides Lyme but short of reading through this whole thread I can’t remember if u mentioned whether your dad ever had Lyme disease.
Wikipedia
Paresthesia
Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation such as tingling, tickling, pricking, numbness or burning of a person's skin with no apparent physical cause.[1] The manifestation of a paresthesia may be transient or chronic, and may have any of dozens of possible underlying causes.
Nellejoy Nellejoy - Thanks for you input. I mentioned to him about Lyme Disease awhile ago and told him to ask his Dr. for a blood test for it. I don't remember him ever mentioning that he had it done. I will follow up on in with him.
Has he ever seen a rheumatologist and been tested for fibromyalgia? I experience transient Paresthesia as a result of my fibro. Since everyone experiences their fibro differently his hands could be where he experiences his most severe nerve pain. Just a thought. I hope he finds some relief, I truly do.
Weebiekins Please look into myofascial release. There is a great practitioner in Chester, Sarah Borda, at Body Heart Therapy Center....myofascial release has done wonders for people and I feel would be worth looking into for your father.
IMOCalico, regarding the Lyme test-I was going to suggest but didn't read all the comments so didn't want to be redundant. Please don't waste your time with standard Labcorp or Quest tests-they are wrong at least 50% of the time. Both myself & my daughter tested negative (myself 2x), my daughter once. I was bitten 2 yrs ago, including rash which doctor refused to treat. I now have full blown Lyme, my daughter has Lyme+3 co-infections. The gold standard is Igenex, however it needs a dr referral which most regular doctors will not give because they are clueless about Lyme. Another decent one that doesn't require a dr-you order the test yourself is DNAconnexions (sp?). It's a urine test & also checks for other tick-borne co-infections. Lyme is called the "great imitator" because its symptoms look SO much like other diseases...many people are misdiagnosed for YEARS which allows the bacteria to spread to every tissue in the body, including the brain & central nervous system which will cause neurological issues. Dr. Howard Weiss in Morristown is a Lyme literate integrative doctor. Best wishes.
Brenda @callico
You didn't mention the severity of the burning. Does it feel like accidentally holding your hand under hot water at a faucet, or does it feel like you're holding a red hot poker?
He may want to try the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Benway Brenda- thank you for the recommendation for Dr Howard Weiss. We saw him yesterday for problems my husband has been experiencing. He is outdoors all the time and has pulled many ticks off of himself over the years.
Dr Weiss was very thorough, spent 2 hours with us to fully understand the symptoms and impact to my husband's life. And he prescribed extensive testing and a reasonable course of treatment. Fingers crossed this will resolve the issues.
hktownie I just thought of this thread that I created almost 6 years ago now and figured I would update it. After two necks surgeries and more doctor visits, Rx pills and natural remedies you can imagine, still no answers on how to solve the problem.
The latest attempts at stopping the pain were CBD oils and creams, alpha-lipoic acid, tumeric, Australia cream and medical grade liquid cannabis. Three more chiropractors and two more acupuncturists were tried as well as a couple more pain management doctors. The pain management doctors only want to prescribe Rx pain meds, not really interested in helping in any other way.
At this point, eight years overall, I don't there there is a solution to this issue at all. Feel free to suggest anything not previously mentioned. Thanks.
A friend of mine got a high-powered ultrasound machine (or maybe it is Electric Stim machine), and he said that takes care for the most part, of his neck + jaw pain. But you have to do it daily, on that side of the pain area, maybe in the beginning more than 2x a day.
he also does have hand pain too,
he also had a nerve Burned in his neck, and it made it worse. he had something else done also t hat didn't work.
he is going for deep tissue massage every week, and that is helping him. There's a great place in Flanders, across the street from Weis. If you buy a 5-pack, you get 1 massage free. and if you pay cash, you get a huge discount. Ask for the masseuse that is the more NEWLY-hired one. there are 2 there.
Hackresident I have had reoccurring pain in my right wrist and thumb, brought on mainly by writing
and holding a pencil and pen over many years. I tried CBD creams which did bring some relief for a few hours, but the 1 purchase I made which worked right away, was a hand and wrist guard made by FUTURO.
Their braces come in gray and blue colors. Blue is for sleeping and gray for during the day use. It’s been a year now that I started using these two products. As of this writing, I hardly ever get pain or a twinge in my wrist unless I lift something too heavy. I only use the blue velvet lined brace for sleeping purposes now. The gray one is for grocery days or snow shoveling etc. I highly recommend these two products. “Target on line,” carried the blue guard and FUTURO on-line carried the gray. Hope these two guards will bring relief to your Dad!
I have 1 thumb that sometimes kills me with pain. i figured out that my thumb bone(s) were shifting how i hold my steering wheel, and how tight.
Once i decided to pull the thumb, and move it to one side. and the first time esp. very much released/ cracked and relieved the pain!! but it can go 'out' again, and i have to pull it and twist it/shift it and of course, it cracks. it mostly only happens after driving.
one might call it Trigger Finger, but i figured out that for whatever reason my thumb bones shift and impinge on a nerve. OMG, and what pain it causes. i wonder if something like this can be part of his problem, Calico 696.
MansfieldVillager Spring fever and MansfieldVillager - Thanks for the suggestions. His pain is all through both hands and up both of his arms. It's a burning sensation of pain which they call neuropathy, not something a brace would help.
Hackresident - Stim machines were tried on him many times at different physical therapy places which offered no relief.
Calico-686,
Maybe he has a pinched nerve in both his shoulders or both neck sides, radiating down to both the arms and both the hands?
Did he ever have a fall to involve both sides, left and right?
ManfieldVillager I know this thread is long, bu If you read through it from the beginning you will see what different types of practitioners and tests have been done.
Maybe he was exposed to a chemical that destroyed his perifrial nerves. or was he ever exposed to toxic mold at his work or home?
how about pesticide exposure?
perhaps think outside of the box and get blood work for these things. the blood work(s) do exist.
I was diagnosed with neuropathy, among other issues, 4 years ago. They believe I have MS, however, no lesions yet. The only thing that has helped me is Amitriptyline 10mg a day. Life saver for me! Took a good 2 weeks to get used to it and start feeling the benefits.
Look up the off-label use and talk to his doctor about it. Hoping he gets some relief.
neuropthysucks Leave a Reply
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