Question
Two months ago, I was turning my head and cracked my neck really, really badly.  I heard a crunch, felt a momentus surge of electricity thru my neck, head and back. I've done this a couple of times in my life, but this one was huge. Much different than other times.  I had neck pain and soreness in neck for a couple of hours afterwards.  I didn't do anything about it and just let it rest and it seemed to go away. A week later, I started noticing that my left little finger and ring finger were getting numb. Two months later, they are both numb and now my left arm is tingly and my right arm is tingly and sometimes numb when I wake up.
I did go to a doctor after researching on internet and I told him that I thought it was cubicle tunnel syndrome (because of which fingers it was affecting).  He asked me if I had injured myself in anyway. At the time, I couldn't think of anything that I had injured, no bumps or whacks or bruises of any kind. But his comment concerned me as he said that my symptoms were likely from some kind of injury. Last week, I cracked my neck again, but only a little bit... nothing like before....but it reminded me of what I had done two months ago.. Eureka!!!!... I dispelled my neck cracking as an "injury".. I thought cracking your neck was a normal thing... but I think the mega crack I did two months ago actually WAS an injury...

I have a physical scheduled for Dec 17.
The doctor prescribed to me three weeks ago to take naproxen, but to call him after a week to let him know how I'm doing.  I had intermittently taken the naproxen as i don't like to take drugs of any sort.  Sometimes I miss a dose, but I took it for a week straight and didn't notice any benefit. My fingers are still numb. My right arm aches and is tingly.. my left arm is tingly.

Should I go to a chiropractor? Should I get my neck looked at to see if I'm out of line?  Can a chiropractor fix a pinched nerve?  Or should I just call my doctor today and get seen right away?  I'm afraid of atrophy of my arms if i let this go any longer (or until Dec 17 when I have my physical).

I also work at UPS from 4am to 8am - Mon-Fri.
I scan packages, I'm not a preloader of packages.
I use my arms and handss in a repetitive motion when I
put labels on outgoing packages.  I don't have any problem
doing the job, but I'm wondering if I'm not doing myself any favors by the repetive motion for 4 hours a day.  But I need the job as it pays for my insurance which used to cost me $1200 a mos.  

Please let me know what I should do, but i don't think the answer is naproxen, and I think i should see a chiropractor to realign me, but I don't want to do that if he may cause my problem more injury....I've never been to a chiropractor and have never had bone/neck problems other than the occassional crack of neck by flipping my hair or turning my head too quickly.  Just like the SunSilk ad on TV when the women flip their hair too quickly showing the bounce in their hair - and one of them ends up at the doctors with a neck brace, that's exactly what i did..

Carol
Mattapoisett, MA


Answer
Carol,

You absolutely do not have cubital tunnel syndrome.  Your symptoms are most likely coming from your neck.  Naproxyn is not going to change the quality of your neck joints in regards to any joint dysfunction, adhesion, disc protrusion or myofascial irritation.  You somehow strained your neck and gave yourself the equivalent of a "stinger," like what a football player gets when they land on their shoulder and yank their neck.  You may have irritated a disc in your neck when you cracked it, causing nerve symptoms down both arms in an Ulnar nerve pattern (inside of arms to the pinkey finger), or you may have strained the musculature in the front of your neck (the thoracic outlet).   Since you live in Mattapoisett, my best recommendation is for you to look up Jeffrey Swift, DC.  He is expert at examining these conditions - as a chiropractor and chiropractic neurologist - and can provide the appropriate treatment.  His number is 508-758-3666. You would be cheating yourself by not seeing him.

'Hope this was helpful.

Dr. G
www.drgillman.com