mhm487

About two years ago I started to experience a shooting pain sensation in my pinky and ring fingers on my right hand. The pain was intermittent and first and infrequent enough that it didn't really bother me. Over the course of the next couple of months, shooting and stabbing pains began to appear all over both hands and all fingers. It was at this point that I really started to freak out about what was wrong with me and I began to spiral deep into google and reddit to find someone with similar symptoms to mine and to see what treatment options there were.

My pain is very unique from any other pain stories that I have read about here. It is not impacted at all by physical movements. I could type all day long and it would not worsen the pain. However I can be sitting on the couch enjoying a TV show and have the stabbing pains start up out of nowhere.

After about a month into the symptoms I had started treating with an orthopedic hand doctor. I did a ton of physical therapy which was of no benefit and I tried numerous anti inflammatory medications which also had no impact on the pain. Running out of options, the ortho suggested we attempt an ulnar nerve surgery since my symptoms had begun in the pinky and ring fingers. I went through with the surgery, and of course, it had no impact on the pain. By this point in time my anxiety had spiked out of control. I would wake up in a panicked state every morning and would remain in fight or flight mode until I went to bed at night. There was no break in the anxiety cycle and I did all I could do to make it through the day.

Five months into the pain, a new symptom arose, an intense burning sensation on the palms of my hands as if I was holding my hand in a flame. This pain scared me even more and further worsened my state of anxiety and panic. This prompted me to see a neurologist who performed an EMG which came back normal. He refused to do a skin biopsy test to look for small fiber neuropathy. I struggled over the next several months and in January of 2024 my pain increased dramatically to the point that I did not think I could go on any longer. I saw a specialty neurologist in NYC who performed a skin biopsy test which came back positive for small fiber neuropathy (a condition for which there is no treatment). This brought on deep symptoms of depression as I grappled with the fact that I would have to deal with this pain forever.

I've recently come across all of the mind body work...I've read Sarno's books, Dr. Schubiner's, and Alan Gordon's. I started working with a pain reprocessing therapist a few weeks ago. I've been doing somatic tracking and have been journaling about my emotions for about a month now. I haven't noticed any changes in my symptoms and a large part of me questions if small fiber neuropathy can truly be TMS/mind body syndrome considering my biopsy showed actual damage to the small nerve fibers. I have also been unable to find any stories on here that are similar to mine that end with a positive outcome. Looking for advice, direction, any input at all from anyone who has experience with small fiber neuropathy symptoms. Thank you!