Ask Dr. LJ (srsly)

[prog]

So something went b'doink in a non-TMI region of my body. Coincidentally, I have a physical coming up in a couple of weeks. I am looking for confirmation that it's OK to wait for that, or if I should run-not-walk to the doctor's office to escalate this.

Since Saturday afternoon -- so, for three days now, without letup -- my right forearm has felt somewhat numb and rather painful, from elbow to fingertips. The pain recedes for several hours whenever I eat ibuprofen, but the numbness stays: an unpleasant tingle, especially on all the affected area's skin. It feels especially weird on the inner surfaces of my fingers.

The pain arrived in a sudden rush while I worked on Saturday, and has remained since. But I otherwise feel great, and my arm is fully functional, with no muscular weakness or anything. So: thoughts? Meh wait it out (with a doc appointment after two weeks), or holy shit, jmac, pick up the phone now?

Comments

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I'm not a doctor, but I'd vote for waiting it out unless it gets much worse or spreads. Sounds like a repetitive stress-type thing though, so maybe you're overdoing the keyboarding or similar work. My suspicion might be a pinched nerve or overuse in the shoulder area.