Need to see a GP don't I?

[RosemarySquash]

A few years ago my little fingers started feeling numb, my GP said it was compression coming down from my shoulders. It's been affecting both my hands now for about a year.

I had about a month on the FODMAP diet earlier this year plus exercising and it got a lot better, coinciding with six weeks off work.

i just don't know what it is, whether it's something more serious, or if I just ignore it and try and get on with life. I suppose I am worried about it and just want to make sure it's not something more serious as it's quite odd. I suppose as it has changed and got worse I should go back and I know I'm putting it off.

Have you seen a chiropractor? Sounds like it could be coming from your posture if gp thinks it was your shoulders and it was better when not working.

You need a firm diagnosis. Not a chiropractor.

You certainly do need a proper diagnosis. It has been going on a while now so you do need to get it sorted and treated.

I was simply suggesting a chiropractor as you have already seen your gp and the fact that you feel it got better when you were off work.

Our chiropractor is great and will tell us if we need to see our gp for testing etc.

Agree you need a diagnosis. I think your GP should consider sending you for nerve conduction studies. I would hope a decent chiropractor wouldn't do anything to you with these symptoms until you'd been properly investigated.

I am sorry if I am about to scare you, but I wonder if you have what I have, benign, sensory (non- motor) MS. This all happened 25 years ago.

It got diagnosed following me finding my little fingers getting in the way of writing, numb patches on my feet; and 'dental anaesthetic' numbness on my face, neck and shoulder; I had a head MRI (no MS plaques); a lumbar puncture (no protein bands), nerve conduction tests (bit of lag, nothing diagnosable).

I still have the numbness but my little fingers are okay.

I hope that for you, it's nothing, but I went from being convinced I'd be in a wheelchair within 5 years to slightly irritating 'symptoms ', now. Decades later.

Thanks everyone. Went to the GP. She did the muscle test, asked me if I'd put weight on, been dropping things. She said its all muscular due to tight neck/shoulders. She said to do yoga, Pilates, massage, lose weight, eat healthy, take calcium and vitamin D. Sent me for a blood test to check calcium. It doesn't help that I am overweight and not exercising. I am 99% sure it won't clear up but I will do all those things then go back and badger them. Miljah

I have difficulties with my arms/hands due to referred pain from my neck and shoulders. I use gentle heat on my shoulders, plus a massage tool called a back knobber - this helps to reduce the muscle tension that stresses the nerves.