Why Do I Have Pain In Thumb And Numbness In Both Hands?

left hand: base of thumb pain,intense,upon certain movements.Keep this strapped continually to prevent pain and further damage.Over approx.4 year period have experienced numbness upon waking in the morning in last 2 fingers(pinky and finger next to it) of left hand (and more usually both hands),although this seems to have ceased in the last 3 months.Pains also down my forearm,underneath and on top,and sometimes underneath my upper arm.Also,when swimming backstroke,upper arm muscle "pops"in middle of stroke,is painful and I lose power in that arm temporarily.This week when lying down in bed trying to sleep experienced "butterfly fluttering"across the muscle running from my neck to my shoulder.This happened every night for 4 nights for approx 5 minutes and occured also when I lay on the couch.Also,2 days after the above, whilst I was semi awake in the early morning,I experienced a stronger,more "jumping"sensation in my left forearm close to my wrist.My right hand (at same base of thumb)and whole arm has had more pain and discomfort over the last 12 months but I haven't had the "butterfly fluttering" or forearm jumping that the left side has had.Simply pruning the roses 2 months ago has left me with pain upon usage from the base of my elbow and down the underside of my forearm.As well as my hand brace,I have my forearm also continuously strapped to support it and prevent it getting worse.I've had more muscle soreness upon movement in my upper arm as well as the same "popping"of the muscle in backstroke.My right shoulder has also given me discomfort and sometimes I cannot raise it completely or scratch my back,then later in the day I find I can do these movements without pain.Confusing ! All of these above symptoms have occurred before a few years ogo,mainly from gardening and work rlated tasks and I have overcome slowly before by myself with careful,regular swimming(backstroke and breastroke)3 times a week.I am unable to do this at the present time but even when i was able to for most of this year I seemed to get 'almost"better" but never completely.I'm 52 years old,otherwise quite fit and healthy and am a fitnessand health concious person.I have IBS and multiple food intollerances,though.Yesterday I had my hands exrayed and next week I am to have blood tests and nerve conduction tests.I have been on leave for the last 2 weeks and have strapped both my hands and my right forearm both night and day for this period and not done much and the symptoms have now greatly improved but i am worried how I will cope when I go back to work.I have only ever worn one hand brace to work.I feel I cannot turn up to work with two handbraces,but if I don't I leave myself vulnerable to further injury again.