What Causes Swelling And Burning Pain In The Fingers And Feet?

Posted on Wed, 17 Aug 2016

Question: My 21 yr old daughter has swelling and burning pain in her fingers and feet.she can hardly walk due to the pain,or even hold her phone.she is otherwise healthy. Takes no medications others than birth control.The pain has continued for 5 days now. No fever. Ibuprofen and benadryl have little effect. It almost feels like knots in some places under the skin. We can think of nothing that may have caused a allergic reaction.she saw a family doctor today that said they do not know the cause. Any thoughts on what could cause this? She had a physical about 6 months ago with labs and all were normal. She is going for more lab work tomorrow just to see if there is any cause. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Answered by Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Could be due to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone very carefully through your query and understand your concerns. The mentioned symptoms seem to be due to neural cause. There are two possibilities to consider. The first is carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition where a nerve supplying the hand gets entrapped and compressed on its path, thus leading to burning pain involving the fingers. If that is the case, an NCV (nerve conduction velocity) test of the affected limb should help in its detection. Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in young women like her.

The second possible cause is peripheral neuropathy. Not sure why that would occur. Calls for further neurological evaluation. Giving vitamin B complex supplements, in particular methylcobalamin, for at least 2-3 weeks could lead to some improvement.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng