Shoulder update #3

I went to the rheumatologist again last week (not this week that just went by, the one before that). I received two more shots, and a refill, at a stronger dosage, of the muscle relaxers. And now I've got numbness and tingling on and off in my hand, so the rheumatologist also wanted me to have a nerve conduction test (EMG), which will be done by the Orthopaedics department. Apparently the fact that the pinky finger is involved is a bad thing. And, funny thing about the numbness: I described it to the doctor as being at the bottom of my hand, meaning the palm and palm-side of the fingers, not the top. It wasn't until later that I read that this specific area of numbness is a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. I also got some neck x-rays at that appointment. My next appointment with rheumatology is next week, and the EMG is the following week. I'm pretty sure there will be an MRI involved at some point, too.

The rheumatologist left a message on my answering machine two days ago, with the results of the x-rays. I called him back and spoke to him yesterday. It seems that my neck is in a spasm: my neck bones are straight, and they should be in a "C" shape. You know, for a very long time now, I sometimes catch myself with my head forward and down without realizing I'm doing it. I always thought it was just a bad habit and poor posture. Apparently not. So the treatment is more shots, more muscle relaxers, and better posture, especially at work, where I type all day. Oh, and I also have some Osteoarthritis in my C5-C6. So, that should be real fun for me later in life, when it gets worse. Excellent!

And this got very long, so I've made the rest of the update into a new entry, below.