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[john999]

I had an EMG today because my feet hurt so much. The VA said there was no nerve damage in my feet or pinched nerves. So I guess I am cured. Can you have peripheral neuropathy and yet not show any damage on an EMG? I have miserable pain in my feet and sometimes lose my balance, but VA now says my nerves are fine. Feelings of numbness,pain and tingling are not totally objective. I worry the VA will decide I do not have diabetic neuropathy and cut off my pain meds. I have been for a lot of tests this last two weeks and my subjective pain is not really reflected in my objective findings from MRI and EMG, but I still have miserable pain in my feet and back. I get sick of doctors telling me that my findings are normal and, yet, I hurt, and the VA does not adequately treat my pain. I don't believe that these pain doctors know what they are doing, and just want big bucks to do procedures like nerve blocks that may or may not work.

[halos2]

I have some of your symptoms and mine are partially related to my herniated disc's in my back. The compression of the bulging discs press on the nerves and thereby results in numbness, pain, tingling, falls related to not being able to feel the extremity and possibly some footdrop also. Coldness to extremity, color changes (bluish related to poor circulation), edema (swelling) espec. if dependent (hanging down lower, or sitting in chair and feet down on floor), loss of balance, burning sensations, etc

Do you have back trouble? Did yout MRI show any cervical, or lumbar back degeneration?

Nerve block 4 weeks ago and pain worse. Had them in past without any success, hoped for improvement, but notta. What about fibromyalgia also...where else is all your pain? Trigger points with fibro yet many people have probs with feet too. I think sometimes peripheral neuropathy can be evident without examination, testing confirmation, ie(EMG), that is just my opinion. There are some nerves that have neural impulse synaspes that misfire, esp if compression of nerves.

OTC meds don't touch the pain. Hydrocod. or fentanyl patches may help to manage it but not always and not a cure. Then you have to worry about the s/e of meds esp. with the other meds you take...esp watch for antidepressants with pain meds.

I had an EMG today because my feet hurt so much. The VA said there was no nerve damage in my feet or pinched nerves. So I guess I am cured. Can you have peripheral neuropathy and yet not show any damage on an EMG? I have miserable pain in my feet and sometimes lose my balance, but VA now says my nerves are fine. Feelings of numbness,pain and tingling are not totally objective. I worry the VA will decide I do not have diabetic neuropathy and cut off my pain meds. I have been for a lot of tests this last two weeks and my subjective pain is not really reflected in my objective findings from MRI and EMG, but I still have miserable pain in my feet and back. I get sick of doctors telling me that my findings are normal and, yet, I hurt, and the VA does not adequately treat my pain. I don't believe that these pain doctors know what they are doing, and just want big bucks to do procedures like nerve blocks that may or may not work.

[hayley3]

I can sympathize with you. My feet hurt a lot and they said I have plantar fascitis but I have more pain than just plantar fascitis.

I've had the EMG's too, and I think the nerves can be damaged but not damaged and/or compressed enough to show up on EMG. Unfortunately if it doesn't show up on a test, most doctors say there is nothing there and sometimes seem to take satisfaction from that fact.

Have you talked to the podiatrist?

Susie

[john999]

I have back pain and I have talked to a podiatrist. I have tried almost everything and still have pain. My foot pain started first and then as I got more immobile my back started to hurt. I have arthritus in my back and some bulging discs. When I first get up in the morning my back is stiff and sore. If I sit too long I get sore in my back and it gets stiff. I am constantly getting up and streching my back and hamstrings. The percoset I take does not give me much relief. My feet are beyond hope. Once the pain cycle gets cranked up it is hard to stop.

[MRRRR5]

John,

I would recommend you have them check you for RSD (Reflex sympathetic distrophy); another name for this is CRPS (Complex regional pain syndrome).

My spouse was diagnosed with this condition (RSD) from a botched bunion surgery.

From what her pain specialist tells us, many doctors are not familiar with this condition or don't know how to diagnose it and will say that the "pain is in the patient's head" or something like that.

I wish you the best.

[Rockhound]

John999, I feel for you and know where you are coming from. I have the lower extremeities neuropathy and severe knee pain due ot osteoarthritis/DJD, but none of my subjective tests are indicative to the pain and weekness I suffer. I do however have a secondary disease process called Sacoidosis, a autoimmune disease similiar to Lupus. It causes constant iritation and swelling in the connective tissue and nerves of just about every joint in my body except my spine. That is another story in itself.

Anyway, they won't come right out and say anything possitive as to what is the source of my extreme pain, but since physical exams show varifiable weekness, they have given me a scooter to use when I have to remain on my feet for any amount of extended time. go figure.

I rate a cart, but they can't say the neuropathy is the cause, or the minor DJD disease is the cause, or the osteoarthritis is the cause, or if the Sacoidosis is the cause, or even if a combination of all of them is the cause. Non of these are SC or have any likelyhood of ever being SC, so why do they still hem and haw around it?

I too am on anti-inflamatoies, one is also for pain and take the Hydrocodone also. I'm suppose to take one tablet of it four times a day, but the pain is so great at night when I try to sleep, I double up and take two before bed time and again mid way through my night, just so I get enough sleep. I also take a sleep med and a psych med at bed time, otherwise I would get very little if any sleep until I drop from extreme exhaustion.

I wish you luck in you endevevors to manage your pain, I know how it is.

Rockhound Rider

[Ricky]

John did you have a simple emg or nerve conduction study? Normally an EMG is done to test the reaction of the muscles at rest and then during contraction. You will not see nerve damage such as PN. To truly see PN you have to have a nerve conduction study done.

[rentalguy1]

John, and both EMG's and nerve conduction studies are worthless, barbaric medical tests that provide little to no information. If you have any muscle guarding at all, it will greatly skew the results. Muscle guarding will show up as a lack of nerve damage. Show me someone with a orthopedic problem who does not have muscle guarding. I wouldn't worry.

[Conecuh]

I had an EMG today because my feet hurt so much. The VA said there was no nerve damage in my feet or pinched nerves. So I guess I am cured.

John999, I have misspoken. I said I had an EMG. I had a nerve conduction test that proved PN. My symptoms are the same as yours.************** "Can you have peripheral neuropathy and yet not show any damage on an EMG? I have miserable pain in my feet and sometimes lose my balance, but VA now says my nerves are fine. Feelings of numbness,pain and tingling are not totally objective."*************

My pain got worse over time and near the end of my work life the feet were swollen and painful by 9am, with 8 more hours to go. http://www.hadit.com/forums/uploads/emoticons/default_angry.png' alt=':angry:'> Ricky may have hit the nail on the head. "John did you have a simple emg or nerve conduction study? ". I also have bad disc shown by an MRI. I turned that in to VA as I knew they would get it anyway from SSD. I understand that pain of PN goes down the front of the leg and disc the back of the leg. I have some of both (lucky me).Point is all my success with doctors stems from that one nerve conduction test. I gave copies to ever doctor I saw, they all put it in their notes. http://www.hadit.com/forums/uploads/emoticons/default_rolleyes.gif' alt=':rolleyes:'> I have a good tolerance for pain. Had a burst appendix that was not found for 10 days. People are different. 98.6 is a rule of thumb. You might run 97 or 99 and be normal. I am sorry for your pain. The reason I had the MRI is because the doctors did not seem to think that PN should be so bad. I had hope that it was something that could be fixed!I think I would go to the best nerve doctor in Tampa and get an IMO nerve test. Hard for them to argue with FACTS. Surround & Overwhelm. Do you think Overwhelm comes from the German? <_<

[otey2171]

Has anyone mentioned multiple sclerosis? My MS symptoms started with only my left hand numbness with pain. Now Almost my entire body has some degree of numbness with on and off pain. I had a EMG when only my hand was numb and the EMG was negative. A nuerologist that deals with MS would believe you when it comes to pain.

Edited July 18, 2008 by otey2171 (see edit history)