Q: I am a 44 years old woman having joint pain and my palms become numb with a tingling feeling. There is a lot of pain in my finger and leg joints and my palms become very painful and within a second get a tingling feeling. When I hold the palm downwards it becomes alright. Because of this, I am unable to do any work with my hands like holding or bending. I had viral fever a month back. The doctor told me that I had Chikungunya fever and suggested thyroid tests. Please advise.

A:The description given by you does fit in with the diagnosis of a viral arthritis. If your rheumatologist has diagnosed this as Chikungunya, you may check is the blood test for it has been conducted and if that is positive.

Occasionally this type of viral arthritis may take a little longer to subside but, it does go away in due course of time in most persons. Only a few persons may actually some form of arthritis treatment. Your rheumatologist would be in a position to advise you on that.