Hi,
Do any of you women carries have pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms in your cervical spine.. back of neck to shoulders?? I have pain that now radiates from the neck down my right arm causing painful tingling in my neck, shoulder.. down through elbow and into hand..
Also, I live near Sacramento California. Is anyone close?
Thank you,
Margie
#Pain #muscle #Spasms
I have had pain and stiffness in my lower back for about the past 7 years but last year my right hand started to go very numb at night . At times the pain in my hand was so painful that I would wake up in a cold sweat feeling like I was going to pass out and would last anything from 15 to 30 minutes.
I went to a physio for about 4 months who thought I had a pinched nerve near my neck. The pain has lessened with exercise although some numbness can now continue into the day and I notice that I can get numb fingers if I walk with my stick for too long.
Both my specialist and GP don't think it is carpel tunnel syndrome but I am thinking I am going to have to go back as although the severe pain at night has decreased there is almost continuous pain throughout the day in my shoulder blades, shoulders and wrist which I didn't have before. As tieaknot has said it is a sore gnawing pain that I find difficult to describe to people.
I see a spinal reflexologist who has been trying to help, but that has not been working so well recently.
I have had neck and trap pain and stiffness on and off for many years that sometimes radiates down one or both arms but eventually resolves for a while (months or years at a time) so I don't think mine is related to AMN. I have a couple bulging and herniated discs up there so i always blamed it on that but now that you mention it I will pay more attention to any patterns. Hope you feel better!
Yes Margie I do. I am very sore to touch also. I have been going to a chiropractor for a lot of years now and the last 2 years she has noticed how sore i am when she treats me and most of the time she has had to stop due to spasms between my shoulder blades.....so now I go a lot less frequent. Also I am noticeably weaker in the hands than I use to be.
I live in Australia, NSW.
Good morning!
I, too, have the problem you describe, I'm now in PT to help with shoulder issues that I ignored. Doing slow, gentle movement (Hanna Somatics) has kept this body going really well. It really helps with the physical stress I have from repetitive movement - I use both a wheelchair and forearm crutches and assumed that I'd pushed myself to hard. I tore a tendon in my shoulder while transferring one day, and am working with that now.
I have had trouble with numbness and pain waking me at night in my arms & hands. My neuro has tested me and I have the start of carpal tunnel in the right arm. It amazed me how it could wake me up from a sound sleep! Being a side-sleeper, I've made some changes to allow for my arms to be gently laid straight/long against my body and this has made a huge difference with cutting back on impinging the nerves. Thankfully, I've cut way back on troubled sleep!
Although the doctors say that we ladies don't have upper-body problems, from reading posts like this and talking with AMN women, they may need to look at the problem differently. Many have complained about dropping objects that we thought we had a good-hold on, stiffness/spasms/pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back. We often change the way we walk due to increased difficulty and this can hugely contribute to all of the above!
I'll be attending the ULF Conference in Baltimore in a few weeks ... I'll be asking questions!
Peace be yours, JoAnn
Please do ask Jo Ann. I was surprised by how many women at our annual meeting last year here in UK were having tingling down their arms but it has never been brought up by the men. I will have to check again this year or in the meantime can any of our UK members add to this discussion.
I will, Cherie! I'll report back afterwards!
Yes, please let us know what they say! I am discouraged rading this as i just am getting my head around possibly losing the use of my legs in the future, but convonced myself I could deal with that as long as I could always have good use of my arms to hug my kids and someday hold my grandkids :/ I know rhere are no guarantees in anything but i guess i was holding onto that. 
I get numbness in my hands after holding a book, within 15 minutes. Same with riding a bike. I feel numbness within 5 or 10 minutes. I am starting to wear splints at night, and that does help with night time numbness.
I get numbness in my hands after holding a book, within 15 minutes. Same with riding a bike. I feel numbness within 5 or 10 minutes. I am starting to wear splints at night, and that does help with night time numbness.
Hi Margie,
I have lower back pain for a long time. I get headaches that cause my neck to hurt also. My feet feel stiff and I need to keep moving them or I am afraid when I stand up I wont be able to. Also my fingers get stiff.
I am 54 and have had symptoms since my 20s I did not know my arms would be affected until a few years ago when my writing,which had been becoming increasingly difficult, became worse. I figured years ago I needed to be seated but then still it deteriorated. When telling my neurologist he was not surprised so they do know arms are affected but just don't let you know. I tested positive for Carpal Tunnel in right hand and had surgery last summer. I still wake with hands 'asleep' in the night after surgery and wearing night splints on both hands. I have tremors as well which has made handwriting very difficult. I did find after having shoulder /upper back pain which chiro attributed to forearm crutch, that when I began using the special pillow I had gotten years ago it helped tremendously with the back shoulder but did not help hands. Doctor said it is the disease and will get worse. Like others I had accepted the legs were not going to be there but I planned to have more time to sit and do crafts. Now I have been told the hands will be gone too so I am trying to enjoy what I have while I have it. There are certainly no blanket statements as each of us shows different symptoms or none at all and we need to be sure we don't attribute everything to AMN as it may be something else. As in my case I did have Carpal Tunnel and even though the tests showed the surgery had worked the symptoms stayed and that is when the neurologist said the disease was in my arms. I see Dr. Echlier at MA General so I trust that the information I receive is correct. I just wish they would be more forthcoming when troubles start to let you know the disease affects much more than I was told. Then again I think the doctors are just realizing how extensively some carriers are affected
Do any of you have trouble with chest pain? I have intermittent pains that feel like an elephant sitting on my chest. Have been rushed to the hospital from work and nothing was found so now years and many episodes and testing later I just suffer through and hope it does not happen when I can't pretend it isn't.
Thank you all for your helpful responses. I had an MRI and have moderated to severe degenerative disc disease and bulding discs in my cervival spine area. I see a physical medicine doctor today and a neuroloogist for the first time Monday. I have so many different pain symptoms.. now trying to sort out what of the symptoms are degenerative disc disease, what is arthritis and what is or can be related to being an ALD Carrier/AMN. This is all quite confusing.. I'm only 49 and have always be healthy and active...
Hoping for answers, treatment, and less pain soon.
Best wishes to all of you and THANKS Again! God has given us only one life to live and despite pain and the barriers of disease let's move forward and live as fully as we can with as much thankfullness, joy and love.
Margie
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