Peripheral Neuropathy - A Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis

I went to see my hand surgeon and specialist last week at Orthopedic Institute. I had two surgeries a little over two years ago to reposition my ulnar nerves in the elbows and to release the median nerve in my wrist of entrapment. Tingling and numbness in my fingers and hands was the symptom these surgeries was to correct, or at least improve. There were no guarantees. The nerves did not entirely grow back, but I had vast improvement for about a year! It was pure bliss to be able to use my hands without the recurrence of the tingling and numbness that accompanied most tasks required my hands.


At the time of my surgery I was also having tingling in my face and feet. I was tested for MS, which thankfully appeared to be a negative through MRI scans, nerve studies and muscle testing. The tingling persisted, and I grew tired of trying to find the cause. I chalked it up to be either a side effect of RA inflammation, or a symptom of Fibro - both quite possible.


About six months ago my hands began to constantly tingle - from morning to night, every waking hour my hands hand a pins and needles tingling feel to them. It can get worse with use, but never goes away completely. My hand surgeon is a snowbird and home in SD during the summer. I thought it couldn't hurt to go see him and see what he thought about the constant tingling.


He ordered a new nerve study, to include my neck because of the neck and shoulder pain and inflammation I've had since January, also for six months. Results were good. No pinched nerves, no new nerve damage. No exact cause was determined. He suspects and diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy. It can be a complication, or secondary disease to rheumatoid arthritis. To me it is simply giving words to the symptoms. I'm already taking the meds used to treat peripheral neuropathy (for fibromyalgia).


I also was enlightened during my appointment to the reasons that my hands cramp up and 'quite working' after a short period of use. The wasting of and decreased use of my muscles in the hand, do to the cycles of pain and inflammation from the rheumatoid, cause them to cramp up and quit working. It is difficult for those of us with this disease to maintain or gain muscle/strength. We tend to loose more muscle then we gain - largely due to our decrease activity level from the cycles of the disease activity. He suggested exercise in the warm therapy pool - which I already do - so I will continue the use of it and tingle on for now!

Be well! Namaste.

Jess