Bracing Archives

Desperate patient needs help/advice

Dear Dr. Stoll.

For the last 3 years I have had pain in different parts of my body and would very much like to hear your opinion as to where I should look for the cause of my problems.
I am 29 years old male and generally in good health. My energy level is very good as well as sleep patterns (no insomnia).
My problems started suddenly 3 years ago with sharp acute pain in my left foot (the center of the pain was in the second toe and the bone/tendon, which leads to the second toe). For about 1 month I could not literally walk. The pain became worse with walking and even light physical activity in a gym. I felt as if needles were put in my foot near the second toe. MRI and CT Scan did not show any abnormalities. I had 2 cortisone injections with no results. With time the foot pain became better however I now have constant light tingling sensation. It gets worse if I were to exercise in the gym which I avoid for the moment.

2 year ago, I started to have backache. It gets much worse with the weight exercises, even very light ones like bench press. MRI of L-Spine showed no abnormalities, no compression on adjacent neural structures. CT Scan showed minimal increases uptake in the SI joints compatible with sacroiliatis. I was told that CT scan was in the normal range.

My biggest problem started 1 year ago during my first full-time employment as an accountant after finishing University studies. The first symptoms started 3 months after the beginning of the employment. During my work I was supposed to use computer but these were not considered heavy computer related responsibilities. I developed very acute pins and needles type of pain in both hands. The pain was so strong that I had to take several weeks off in hopes that the pain would stop. It did get better ~50% but when I came back to work I got worse again. Even when I was holding a newspaper I often felt very sharp pins and needles in my hands. The pain was going from my wrist to the fingers, on top of the hand. My nerve conduction, EMG tests showed everything normal. I had it done 2 times, 1 year ago and last week.
Because of the pain in my hands I had to leave my work and have not been working since last December. My symptoms are better but not gone even when I don’t work.
My family doctor thinks that my problems have to do with the fact that I have herpes simplex virus (I have herpes on my lips every month and catch cold every month).
I have also seen a rheumatologist who did not find anything abnormal. The only abnormal test was ANA, which is 1:40. I was told that this test could be considered abnormal if it is 1:200 or more.
I am in a very desperate situation, as I don’t feel I am able to work on the computer work if I am employed.
I read numerous books on repetitive stress injuries, fybromyalgia, and herpes. I do not see myself to be a clear case of any of them.

My questions are:

Is it possible that I have pain in my hands because of herpes simplex virus?
Can it be fybromialgia?
As I described my symptoms, what kind of doctor do you think I should see?
Are there any other tests I should consider?

Thanks a million,

Alex

Re: Desperate patient needs help/advice

Re: Desperate patient needs help/advice (Archive in bracing.)

Thank you for the advice

Thank you for the advice (Finding a holistic practitioner in Canada.) Archive.