I was having Physio done for carpal tunnel, tendinitis and neck pain. They did acupuncture as well, but every time they put a needle in near by elbow my fingers almost immediately turned blue. The last session we skipped the needles at that location, but by the end of the session, my fingers still turned blue. And no, I do not have Renaud’s.
I’m just wondering why this happened and what it may indicate. Has anyone else experienced this?
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
So, first, you didn’t likely have “acupuncture” done - you had what in the states at least is called dry needling and that is a very important distinction. If I’m wrong and your physio is also a fully trained Doctor of Chinese Medicine then please feel free to correct me.
More than likely they created localized damage or irritation to the ulnar nerve (just guessing from what you are describing). But it sounds like it is only doing this while you are having the treatment? If it is lasting, there was probably some damage to the nerve which should heal in about 6-15 weeks. If it’s only doing it while you are being treated, then it is probably localized compression to the nerve.
There is a possibility that it is a vascular response to other points or even positioning but that would be far less common.