02 Don’t ignore your Pinky or your Posture

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

At the beginning of 2021 I began experiencing a strange numb sensation in the tip of the little finger of my left hand. Actually to be honest, it probably started before Christmas 2020, but it was so insignificant at the time, I don’t remember exactly. This numb sensation continued for a few weeks and then spread to the whole finger and gradually to my ring and middle finger.

By now I was somewhat more concerned so I contacted my GP who thought it may be a trapped nerve, as I was not experiencing any pain in my neck and she prescribed regular ibuprofen over 2 weeks. Having experienced no improvement, I was reluctant to keep taking the ibuprofen for no reason and went back to the GP. In May 2021, I was referred to the practice physiotherapist who considered it may be radiculopathy which is the pinching the nerve branching off the spinal cord. Rather like the slip road that comes off the motorway. She suspected that the ulna nerve was trapped. This nerve runs from my neck and along my arm to the three affected fingers.

This type of condition had been common in lockdown with people working from home on laptops on inappropriate furniture and developing bad posture. The exercises she gave me seemed to aggravate things as I was now experiencing aches and pains across my shoulders and a buzzing type pins and needles sensation like an electric charge across my torso when I laughed or coughed. Concerned, she referred me to orthopaedic triage at my local hospital, as this was the next step to take.

I think she had her suspicions.