Shingles On Arms

The arms and legs are not the most common site of shingles involvement, but some patients will have shingles lesions extending onto the arms or legs or affecting only the arms or legs. Shingles of the arms or legs can pose additional problems. The greatest concern is that the muscle nerves will be damaged. Damage to muscle nerves can occur anywhere shingles is present, but if the outbreak affects the arms or legs, it may interfere with the patient's ability to use his or her hand or foot normally. 
Rarely, patients with shingles of the arm or leg can be left with a stroke-like picture of numbness and weakness. For this reason, patients with shingles lesions in those areas may need to be examined by a neurologist soon after the lesions appear to decide whether additional treatment is necessary. The most common treatment used to decrease the chances of damage to motor nerves involves immunosuppressive agents such as Prednisone. These drugs should only be given to patients already receiving antiviral treatment.