Suggest Treatment For Persistent Neck And Shoulder Pain With Tingling In Hands?

Posted on Fri, 3 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 3 Jan 2014 Answered on

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi Ihave a persistent pain in neck and both shoulders and tingling in both hands . I am taking Methatrexate and also Embrel 50 mg injection per week .My right hand fingers have swollen during typing this . Please advise

Answered by Dr. Kerry Pottinger (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Possibly arthritic changes in your neck. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for using Healthcare Magic. These symptoms suggest you may have arthritic changes in your neck, also called cervical spondylosis. This is a relatively common problem at your age as it is a process that occurs naturally with aging.. The bony changes in your neck can squash nerves which will result in the tingling in your hands. I suggest you consider paracetamol and ibuprofen for the pain. A warm compress on your neck may help. Avoid wearing a stiff collar as there is no evidence that these help. Try a low, firm pillow at night. If your neck is stiff then exercises to strengthen the muscles may help. Gently tense your neck muscles as you tilt your head up and down and from side to side, and as you carefully twist your neck from left to right. A physiotherapist would be able to advise on further exercises. If these simple measures produce no benefit, then an MRI scan would help in assessing the extent of bony changes in the neck. If changes are extreme then surgery is occasionally recommended. I hope this has answered your question. If you have any further query, please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Dr K A Pottinger, MBChB FRCA

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar