Injury after crash

[bike5]

Around 5/20/06 ish I was riding at a track and hit neutral on the face of a jump. I flew over the bars, landed on my head/left shoulder. After getting my breath back I got up, other then normal after crash pains (bruises and scrap pains and such), nothing too serious. I was able to return to work the next few days with no problems, I am a web developer and do mostly application web programming so I need functional wirst.

Anyway, 3-4 days after the crash I started getting some hand/wrist problems (both equally), my hands would go ice colds and start sweating (also weakness) with lots of pain in the mix, so much I couldn’t type on the computer for reasonable amounts of time because of the pain and numbness (if I stayed on too long).

I went to the doctor and had x-rays, nothing showed up. I had blood tests, everything was fine. I was sent to a neurologist which did more testing, including carpal tunnel shock type tests on my arms and legs, needles insert into my arms to read something or another, I'm not the doctor. These all showed nothing, my reading were good. However my knee jerk reactions when being hit were almost nothing. My doc also ran a needle looking roller over my hand-arm and foot-leg and foot and hand pain felt a lot dimmer then arm and leg.

Still no ideas of what it could be. I got a brain and cervical mri (with and without contrast) which I thought would show a pinched nerve but the results were negative. Everything looked normal. I recently took more blood tests and am waiting to see a "higher up/more experienced" neurological specialist (soon I hope).

Other symptoms that popped up about 2 weeks after the crash were joint pain when I had pressure on a joint for a little amount of time, even a light pressure. This affects mainly my shoulder, elbows, wrists, and neck. It affects my lowers, knees, ankles to a lesser effect but more then normal.

Why did I type this? I was wondering if anyone out there has had anything like this happen to hem before or to someone they know. Was there a medical name for the problem? How long did they suffer? What did they have to do to get better? Those types of things.

I’m at a lose to what this is and it seems like so is my doctors. I hope someone out there might have had some type of experience with an issue like this even if it was not personally and can maybe point me in the right direction or help in anyway, even to help my doctor if there’s a medical name I can bring to him that he might not have experience with. It was really hard to type all this so I hope it was worth it, either way nothing else has been helping at least this is another thing I can try. It's been over a month and the problems seem to not get better or worse. I have also been of work for a month and resting this whole time with no improvement.

Thank you for your time.
-Danny

 

[robwbright]

I have no idea what your issues might be, but I've personally been amazed at what a good Chiropractor can accomplish with back, neck, shoulder - even ankle problems. I've had various back problems from various causes, and I've turned my ankles NUMEROUS times playing soccer - they always got better in a day or a week at most.

Last year I turned my right ankle and 6 weeks later I still could not push off of it to the outside without severe pain. I finally went to the chiro for a back adjustment. I mentioned the ankle to him out of desperation. He felt my ankle and foot, did a bit of adjustment and it was completely better instantly. He stated that there was a bone out of place which was causing the discomfort.

You might want to have a good one check you out if you haven't already. Worth a try and they're usually cheaper than MD's, too.

 

[kmccune]

I'll second the chiropractor vote, my chiropractor has fixed my wrists, elbows shoulders and feet, they do a lot more then backs.

 

[RADRick]

After years of computer use as a writer and even more as a motorcyclist, my wrists started bothering me in '98. Then I had a wreck that year that made the problems even worse. Although diagnosed with mild carpal tunnel in both wrists, the left was bothering me tremendously and I went through all the steps you mentioned with little luck. It wasn't until '99 that I saw a hand and arm specialist that he found something abnormal in my left elbow. He recommended surgery as the ulnar nerve was being pinched and probably responsible for a lot of my wrist and finger pain. Since I was getting to the point of not being able to ride with a messed up clutch hand and my livelihood depends on riding, I gave him a shot. I can't say the surgery alleviated all my pains, but I don't think I'd be riding today if I hadn't had it. It may not be your problem, but I'd have someone take a look at your elbow, as well. That ulnar nerve is a long one and goes all the way from your shoulder to your wrist. Any impingement may not show itself as pain in the immediate area of the pinch, but somewhere way down the line. Good luck.

 

[bike5]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have been thinking about going to a chiropractor but I hear you need to find a good one or you might get messed up more then before. Since I don't know any and don't really know anyone that says they know a good chiropractor I get a little worried there but if nothing gets resolved or on the path to recovery soon I will probably take a chance with it.

I wouldn't think it would be the ulnar nerve because the pain and coldness started at the same time and symptoms and pain and the same on both hands-shoulders which leans me towards something in the neck or head since that seems to be the only part of the body that could effect both sides at the same time equally.

Thanks again, keep them coming if you have any info I can use.