Status
Not open for further replies.

Kristin01

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
46
Country
US
State
CA
City
San Diego
I posted a week or so ago about me having trouble opening jars. Since then, I have been able to open many jars. I haven't noticed anymore weakness. However, when I tense up my thumb and move it on my right hand, it completely makes a huge dent underneath the pinkie and you can see the tendon moving. I do not have this at all on my left hand. I showed my family and it actually creeped them out. Also, the muscle on the inside of my hand, the hypothenar, is smaller on my dominant hand than my non dominant hand. I have two questions. Would you consider this atrophy, especially with the tendon being so visible when it moved? Also, I had an EMG of my right arm a couple of weeks ago. I had many muscles tested in that arm, but none in my hand. If I had hand atrophy, would it have shown up on my arm EMG? Thank you in advance.
 
Muscle atrophy can be very difficult to call in early stages, especially since most of us do not have a good frame of reference from before symtpoms started. People's bodies are so different. Since what you describe is noticeable to your family it bears mentioning to your doctor. If you are not experiencing problems with weakness anymore, you might want to wait and bring it up at your next follow up visit.

I have been experiencing weakened in my grip strength, and the area below my left wrist has thinned out quite a bit. My local neuro said that although he feels there is a change in tone, he wasn't prepared to call it atrophy yet (The measurements between the left and right side are close together).

Every so often someone will post photos on the forum and ask others if they see atrophy. Most of the time those that respond say they cannot see atrophy (The only exception has been photos pasted by forum members who have been diagnosed with ALS or another disease that involves muscle wasting).

Take care,

Robert
 
hi kristin
i noticed the same thing a while back that only happens in my right hand.
its kind of hard to explain so i took a pic,is this like you describe.
sorry for poor pic,could not get flash off.
robert,i know its not atrophy lol,just a bit freaky
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0140.jpg
    DSCN0140.jpg
    79.6 KB · Views: 81,594
Olly

Yes. That is exactly what mine looks like. Do you think it is atrophy? What else could it be?
 
kristin

i honestly dont have a clue:!:
it only happens in my right hand,sometimes when i flex my thumb or just on its own.
the muscle there just sort of pulls in and dents.
but its definatley some kind of involintary response.
if you find out let me know or visa versa:p
 
Olly

Thank you for responding. Do you have any atrophy in your right hand that you are aware of?
 
call me clueless, but what part of that hand are we looking at? The thumb or under pinkie? I can make my pinkie palm area do that too if I hold my hand in that right way, and that is were my first twitch was. but it only looks like that if I move my pinkie in a certian way.

Olly~

your hand still has a lot of meat in it, for being weak! Only on this site would that be a compliment! My whole palms on both hands are sooo thinned out. While we are on this subject, what does your hand look b/w thumb and finger? I may post some pics of my hand, but I know they have some issue's so I dont want some one to tell me that it looks like what there's did in the start and worry me! I like living in La La Land and denial, I find it a great place to live!
 
Caroline it almost looks like a dupuytrens contracture. Google and take a look at some dupuytren photos.

Robert my hubby who has CIDP has thinning of his arm above the wrist before he had atrophy of his thenar muscle--but weakness preceeded the thinning of the muscle above the wrist and the thenar atrophy. He has what he calls "a popeye the sailor" arm i.e. arm looks normal above the elbow and thin and wasted below the elbow. He has a pronounced dent in the lower arm, palm side, just around where you wear a watch. We have been diligently trying to regain some of the losses by doing some tendon gliding exercises daily and we're seeing a little improvement, but use of his thumb is shot for good I think.
Laurel
 
kirstin.
glad i could help.
laurel.
thankyou,i will look that up.
april.
i never had any major issue with my hands(atrophy,fassics ect) only fine motor movements .
you can not tell on pictures but my hands are very thin,theres more wrinkles and loose skin than meat on them.
 
Laurel,

Thank you for the input on your husband. I had been feeling stiffness in my wrists and muscle soreness from typing for a quite a while before I noticed the thinning. Bummer about his thumb. That's what worries me about not catching what it is before it goes too far. I'm a lefty who writes and sketches quite a bit.

I go to the local neuro on Tuesday... we'll see from there.

Take care,

Robert
 
Good luck Robert at the appt. The dent that I described along the inner aspect of his forearm by the wrist is probably more accurately described as a hollow versus a dent.
Laurel
 
Oly - this picture of your hand is very similar to mine. very little muscle. what have they diagnosed you with?
 
Hello, I am 62-years old lady in Finland. I will send some pics about my hand. Atrophy? I have no symptoms, no diagnosis in als. Just came my mind.
03012010(002).jpg
 
Caroline,

We have the same lines in our hands!

Zaphoon
 
could you please tell me if you think this is muscle wasting?
thanks
Randy

11800-albums338-picture2323.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top