Elbow and shoulder pain
I have completed the questionnaire, but I am sorry, I don't understand the result! Maybe I am having a blond moment! Anyway, I would like to ask if CT can cause pain to the elbow and shoulder of the affected side? I wear a splint constantly at the moment, and although it helps relieve some of the pain in my thumb and hand, it has no effect on my elbow or shoulder. Both joints feel as though they need to 'click' back into place. Does this make any sense to anyone?
Thank you for your feedback. I am surprised at the result as I was convinced that CTS was the issue as the pain is worst in my wrist and around my thumb. It can sometimes feel as if the pain radiates from my wrist towards the elbow. I have had the problem for about 5 years and it has got progressively worse. Perhaps it's time I consulted my GP again!
That could equally well be de-Quervain's tenosynovitis or osteoarthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. Early stage CTS is usually dominated by tingling and pins and needles rather than pain, though there are exceptions. With atypical symptoms and someone suggesting it might be CTS it's always worth getting it tested properly. JB
I HAVE NUMBNESS PINS AND NEEDLES SO SEVERE I HAVE TO GET UP OUT OF BED AND SIT IN A CHAIR WHERE AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME IT ALL DISAPEARS .IN THE QUESTIONAIRE THE PROBABILITY WAS 76 PER CENT CTS
MY QUESTION IS WHY SHOULD THIS OCCUR AFTER 5 TO SIX HOURS LYING DOWN IN BED NOT DURING THE DAY OR BEING ACTIVE
A likely explanation is set out in the 'about cts' pages of this site but in general terms it largely boils down to sleeping position and the influence that has on the balance between the tissue pressure in the carpal tunnel and the blood pressure in the small arteries supplying the nerve. There may also be a bit of circadian rhtyhm in it. JB
The low LRP and ANN scores at the end of the questionnaire suggest that your main problem is unlikely to be CTS. CTS can cause pain in the elbow and shoulder but only usually in association with symptoms in the hand - ie a pain that is only in the shoulder is not really likely to be caused by CTS inthe wrist. Some patients of course are just unlucky and have two (or more) diferent problems at the same time and sometimes one of those is CTS. In such cases often the only way to sort out which symptoms relate to which problem is to treat one and see what changes. JB