Q: I am 40 years old. I am suffering from chronic hand pain and muscle pain since 10 years. It started like this: 10 years back, when I used to get up early morning, I found it difficul to move my head towards the right and felt pain at the right shoulder. Sometimes at night, my hand (mostly right) becomes paralysed, if the hand is in an upright position. If I lift my hand upwards for a little while, I get jacuzzi type sensation first in the finger and later in the elbow. Right now I have pain in the muscle near the hand joint & elbow joint (right side). I also get a feeling like stretching of veins on the back of my palm and in the joint muscle. I get temporary relief if I press the affected area but the pain returs later on. I don't use a pillow while sleeping straight but use one when I sleep sidewise, otherwise there is pain. My blood tests show: higher side uric acid, normal ESR, higher AEC and increased esonophils. The neck X-ray did not show much abnormality.

A:A symptoms which has been there for 10 years is obviously a chronic problem. From your narration it seems to fit into a diagnosis of cervical spondylosis with nerve irritation. The numbness and the sensation of paralysis is as a result of nerve root irritation. All that you need to do is to be on regular exercises for the neck. In case, you have persistent numbness which does not settle you will need to show an orthopaedic or a neurosurgeon. The exercises cannot be told on the mail but these are isometric extension exercises for the neck. Any physiotherapist will be able to guide you on this. An alternative differential diagnosis could be a cervical disc prolapse but this diagnosis will have to be based on a clinical assessment.