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Subject: my mysterious condition:
I have a very painful hand condition that doctors cant seem to pinpoint Im desperately hoping that someone here has had a similar experience or is an expert on the topic and can offer some advice. Iām a 31 year-old male in general good health. About a year ago I noticed that the area between my right ring finger and pinky MP joints (joint where finger meets hand) was a little tender to the touch. Nothing debilitating at the time but it gradually got worse and worse. I began losing flexibility in the joint and couldnt extend the finger all the way after 6 months or so. It was also very swollen. Advil alleviated much of the pain. My GP referred me to an orthopedic surgeon which went as follows: Blood work: normal, negative for rheumatoid arthritis
1st X-ray: normal, no sign of joint destruction
MRI: showed edema of bone and joint Dr. gave me a cortisone injection, which seemed to help for a week or so then quickly reverted. He said next step was surgery to clean out the joint. So I found a hand specialist for a 2nd opinion which went as follows: 2nd X-ray: normal
2nd cortisone shot: way more painful than the first and not effective at all
Scheduled surgery to clean out joint and drain fluid.
After surgery the Dr. said that my tendons and tissue were perfectly fine and I showed very slight signs of arthritis but nothing that could justify the pain Im in.
Lab results from surgery all came back normal.
3 weeks post op and pain is crippling. Even if I move my wrist the wrong way, keeping my fingers still, I can trigger extreme pain in the joint.
Still cant extend finger and now I cannot make a closed fist
Just met with a 2nd hand specialist yesterday which went as follows:
3rd X-ray: normal, no sign of joint destruction
Says acupuncture may help in managing some of the pain
Suggested I see a rheumatologist despite testing negative for rheumatoid arthritis from blood work. Had just one acupuncture session thus far which didnāt seem to benefit, though I realize one session is too few. Scheduled to see a rheumatologist on Jan 3rd. Also notable:
I take as few Advil as I can, usually 3, 200mg pills per day. When not on anti-inflammatory, the 2nd knuckle on my ring finger also swells and seems to cause intense pain in the MP joint even if lightly touched. I have a strong feeling that my pain is due more so to nerves, or tendons, than the joint itself. Pain is very sharp and radiates down to my wrist on my pinky side. Pain is at itās worst in mornings and night but this could be due to the fact that Iām not taking Advil for that 8 hr period. -chris
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