HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

What Causes Numbness In The Fingers While Treating Nerve Pain?

default
Posted on Mon, 20 Nov 2017
Question: nerve pain medication for neck vertebrae intense pain in tricep , elbow, forearm and numbness in ring and ln my little finger. Accupuncture Dr. said 2 nerve lines affected. Pain subsides throughout the day but wakes me up every night. Could not go back to sleep. I tried Motrin, tylenol and asprin

doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (27 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
It helps if there is a question mark.

Detailed Answer:
But it's pretty clear it is about c spine disease. The main thing about c spine disease is that it can ruin your life FAR MORE THAN YOU THINK. C spine disease, especially WITH surgery can lead to paralysis/quadraplegia.
So, several medicines can help. Ignoring addictive ones, any that damp down nerves can help. Cymbalta, gabapentin, lyrica are commonly used BUT antidepressants that have spinal effects are the most effective. Amitryptiline or Nortryptiline are very effective and quite safe. They are anti-depressants and 1) they are not a bit addictive and have no withdrawal 2) they are cheap 3) the pain effect occurs in a day to a week but the depression effect takes a month and has about no relationship to the pain effect. They are all prescription medications.
Surgery is a tricky situation. I do not even give a referral unless the person is having neurologic dysfunction or if their MRI is truly scarey.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (33 minutes later)
What is "C" spine and is this an incurable condition? Kaiser said 10 years ago I have arthritis in 2 vertabrae in my neck. Is this related to C spine
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (12 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
oh ! I can help!

Detailed Answer:
ok. The Latin for neck is cervical. Sorry, I thought you knew all about this. Well, I can help explain your situation.
The neck vertebrae (cervical spine vertebrae, c spine vertebrae) are bones with spacers between them (disks). They overlay and protect the spinal cord. This is nerve tissue going from the brain down the back. It hooks up to everything to give wiring from the brain to everything. It runs the wiring for moving, sensing--including pain, and regulation of all organ function. Nerves come out from it to run muscles, get sensation, etc.
If something hits a nerve or the cord it hurts. It also messes up the function. If it is a small end bit of a nerve at the tip of a toe, nobody cares. If it is the top of the spine and nothing comes out to the rest of the body that is what happens when someone is hung. It is fatal. Further out parts of the spine do less but it is still pretty severe when the spine is damaged. And it often hurts.

Arthritis is pain in the joints. This isn't the spine. It also isn't what you got!
So, the bones of the vertebrae move. They have joints. They can hurt. BUT then it would be a really small area that hurts right in the joints of the neck. And only there. AND if a nerve is hit, then the pain is felt all along the path of the nerve. Nerves go out from between the neck vertebrae out to the shoulder, arms and hands. A problem hitting those nerves hurts out from the spine. You can have enough bone degeneration in the joints that the broken/damaged/scarred bone pieces of the joints of the vertebrae actually sometimes hit a nerve. THat tends to be LESS pain, less often, smaller area than if there is a disk that has shifted and hits A LOT of nerves or hits the spine.
IF it is really bad enough to make the arms/legs/shoulders or everywhere below it really have problems moving or sensing then there has to be operation to fix it. If it hurts from hitting a nerve, MAYBE surgery MIGHT help. Or injection of various medicines into the area periodically might. But mainly simple cheap safe medcines are used as mentioned.

Thank you for the very good question.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
What Causes Numbness In The Fingers While Treating Nerve Pain?

Brief Answer: It helps if there is a question mark. Detailed Answer: But it's pretty clear it is about c spine disease. The main thing about c spine disease is that it can ruin your life FAR MORE THAN YOU THINK. C spine disease, especially WITH surgery can lead to paralysis/quadraplegia. So, several medicines can help. Ignoring addictive ones, any that damp down nerves can help. Cymbalta, gabapentin, lyrica are commonly used BUT antidepressants that have spinal effects are the most effective. Amitryptiline or Nortryptiline are very effective and quite safe. They are anti-depressants and 1) they are not a bit addictive and have no withdrawal 2) they are cheap 3) the pain effect occurs in a day to a week but the depression effect takes a month and has about no relationship to the pain effect. They are all prescription medications. Surgery is a tricky situation. I do not even give a referral unless the person is having neurologic dysfunction or if their MRI is truly scarey.