Peripheral Neuropathy??
My name is Brian. I am currently 32 years old, 5 ft 11 in, 175 lbs.
Keep this in mind when reading this. I had a slip in my Dad's shop about a year ago. I slipped in oil & both legs flew out from under me. I tried to catch myself as I was falling, but when my hands hit the oil, they also slipped out from under me, sending my head slamming onto the concrete floor. I laid there dazed for a few minutes. It did not knock me out. I was surprised that I didn't get KO'd as hard as my head hit. Anyway, I decided to go to the Hospital & have my head checked out for injuries. They did a cat scan of my head & they said that I was okay. No problems until recently. What you're about to read may or may not have anything to do with my fall, but I don't know what else to link my symptoms to because I have never had any health problems.
About 5 months ago, I started noticing that my hands would cramp up when working with small things, like threading a screw or a bolt. I didn't really think a whole lot about it at the time. The cramping may not have a thing to do with what you're about to read. I just thought that I would include that in case it is a symptom.
As time went on, I started noticing weakness in my right arm (only in a curling motion). As time went by, it got to the point that I was having a hard time buttoning my pants when getting ready for work & even turning the ignition in my truck because the weakness also affected my right hand. I don't have what I would call pain. It's kind of a numb feeling that starts from my shoulder & goes all the way down to my thumb (primarily in my bicep & hand). At this point (Oct. 25, 2007) I can barely curl a loaf of bread. I have noticed some atrophy in my right hand & in my bicep/forearm area. I do have fascilations, but have had them for as long as I can remember, just not as bad as I have now (maybe from stress). I have been to an Orthopaedic Doctor who looked at me for about 10 minutes & said that he thought it was nerve related. I went to a Neurologist & have had a nerve conduction study performed on my leg & both arms as well as an EMG. I have also had an MRI of my neck & spine. I have had blood work done. Nothing was found abnormal. And this past Friday, I had a myelogram & a catscan performed. I am awaiting the results of those tests, but I did speak with the Doctor who performed the myelogram & I asked him if he saw anything & he said that he looked at the xrays of the myelogram briefly & they looked okay, but had not looked at the cat scan xrays. But that ultimately my Neurologist would have to give me the official results.
I am only having weakness in my right arm & hand (nothing in the left arm or either legs). I fear that this most recent test will come back okay (no pinched nerve, bone spur, etc.) & that I may be facing something like a motor neuron disease like ALS. ALS or any motor neuron disease does not run in my family.
A few questions for anyone who may know:
1) Is it possible that all of these tests can come back okay, but there is in fact a pinched nerve or a bone spur that the Doctor is not seeing?
2) Can a Chiropractor fix something like what I am going through?
3) Is it possible that I have something going on in my arm itself? I have not had an MRI of my arm.
4) Do I fit the symptoms of someone with ALS?
5) Is ALS detectable through any kind of test or are you just diagnosed with it when nothing surfaces from other tests
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