Recent Feedback
Previously, I had surgery on a posterior labral tear and I have been having complications. I had an EMG on my head and neck for numbness and tingling in my left arm on Dec. 12th, 2011. A week later I developed a 1 cm bump on back of my neck. It was red and draining white/yellow pus. After it drained it went away. The last 4 days I've had a sore throat, headaches and metal taste in my mouth. I've also had difficulty holding a pen in my right hand. My palm is very tender. Any suggestions as to what this might be?
Optional Information: Gender: Female Age: 26 Already Tried: ice, motrin, physical therapy
I have been in practice for 31 years. I have probably performed 25,000 emgs. I have seen infections about 5 times in the area of the needle sticks. The usual treatment is antibiotics for 7 days. This is very effective. It seems like you did not have that treatment and developed a abcess. Other types of bacteria that are more serious can then take over. Some of these may be what are called "flesh eating staph"
You symptoms of headache, arm weakness and a sore throat are serious and could indicate infection spread to your neck or possibility your brain.
You need immediate evaluation for this. Go to the emergency room of the nearest larger hospital or medical center As soon as possible. With your arm weakness you should have someone drive you. Infections of the brain are very seerios and can lead to stroke, seizures, coma and death. Your arm weakness is very serious and if you did not have weakness before the emg, this could be signs of a early stroke.
Dr S
Go as soon as possible for this evaluation.
Experience: Board Certified Neurology 1982 30 years experince. Also expert in Pain Medicine
I went to the ER and they did a CT scan of my head and neck. It showed that my headache was caused by muscle strain in my neck. They gave me toradol and flexeril it has helped alittle, but I am still getting headaches.
Headaches have many causes. It is the most common complaint in medicine. The most bothersome part of your original question was the weakness in your right hand. This is one of the clinical signs of a serious problem in your head such as a stroke, tumor and many other things. It is good that you got the Ct with that history. You can rest now knowing that there is nothing serious in your head causing these headaches. When they examined you in the emergency room, I suppose that they did not find and clinical signs of a brain infection. This is about the only thing that causes headaches which does not have any serious ct scan changes.
Muscle spasm in the neck is a very common cause of severe headaches. It can be from mild injuries, vertebral problems, infections in the muscles like you have had and many other neck things.
Since you have had Physical therapy and meds without improvement further specialized relaxation Physical therapy for neck muscle spasm. I assume that MD did not see any clinical signs of a brain problem, but most medical doctors cannot evaluate clinically for these problems. Only a neurologist can usually evaluate you clinically for those problems and see if you need further treatment or tests.
The arm and hand weakness is still not a usual finding with muscle spasm. There are many other illnesses which can cause headache.
If the numbness continue, you should really see a Neurologist and be evaluated. there are some serious medical diseases which would only show with MRI, but you should see a Neurologist first before you get further tests.
DR S