Question
I'm a CNA and was injured lifting a patient.  My employeer sent me to the ER (I work for a hospital) and from that night on, my toes have been numb on the underside, but not the top.  The injury is to the thoracic area.  A lot of stinging, burning and muscle grabbing.  While on light duty I was removing some wet laundry from a washer and had to pull hard to get it out, reinjuring in part.  From that time, the underside of both arms and the small finger to middle finger of each hand are affected with tingling and will go numb if my hands are over my head for long.  I've been MRI'd four times and bone scanned and there's no structural damage, thank goodness, but there's still this very annoying numbness in the toes, arms and fingers, and I still have stinging, burning and muscle grabs in the thoracic area.  Will this ever subside.  I don't have diabeties either.

Answer
Hi John,

It always amazes me the doctors can't figure problems like this out. If the arm is numb with a normal MRI with ulnar nerve distribution, the problem is in the elbow. Keep it extended, iced and rested as much as possible. Anti-inflammatory drugs may help. Toe numbness with no MRI findings indicate peroneal nerve entrapment, this usually happens around the proximal head of the fibula. A chiropractor will figure this out in a second. I doubt it will subside on its own. Get a full spine manipulation with emphasis on the elbow and fibula and you won't look back. If you need a qualified referral, please don't hesitate to ask.


Good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin
drs.chiroweb.com