Question: I’m a Vietnam vet and I have numbness and tingling in my hands. Sometimes it is so severe that I have trouble holding a knife or fork. The doctors at the VA don’t seem to think that I can have peripheral neuropathy because I don’t have diabetes. What do you think?

Dr. Hibberd’s answer:
Numbness and tingling of your hands but not your feet is unlikely to be from diabetes. Your symptoms do suggest peripheral neuropathy, however, and you should be evaluated for more common causes such as carpal tunnel syndrome. It is probably not related to degenerative disease in your neck, but if carpal tunnel syndrome is not confirmed by an evaluation, then a check of your cervical spine and spinal cord would be in order. Ask your doctor for a second opinion or perhaps a referral to a surgeon who specializes in hand surgery for further evaluation and management. Confirmation is simple in most cases. Carpal tunnel is typically managed without surgical intervention.