I’m 51, arthritis is certainly a possibility. But considering that the pain is very localized, I’m thinking not.
The pain is in my right hand, starts in the middle finger knuckle where the finger and knuckle meet, runs in a line directly down from there and stops. There’s a little discomfort in other digits, but 90% of the problem is that middle digit and bone in the back.
It is VERY noticeable at night, significantly more so than during the day, wakes me sometimes and I have to change positions. But it is also very obviously aggravated by the use of the mouse, so I have to change the way I use it, be conscious of my hand, relax it, take my hand off it and rest it, I’m even trying to learn to use the left hand for mousing, which has the added benefit of brain training, but it’s so frustrating I don’t have much patience with it.
It’s very aggravated by the way I tend to hold the middle finger up… I’m wondering if there are braces that will hold that middle knuckle down a bit, that’s what I need. If I use my left hand to put some pressure on that knuckle so that I can’t easily hold it up like a pissed off tarantula, which is kinda what I do, it helps.
Tips and ideas welcome. I can’t function without my mousability. (though I’d love to. I HATE USING THE MOUSE.)
Switch your mouse to your left hand (you’ll be surprised by how quickly you get used to it). Not only will it give relief but it will not suffer the same problem as you right hand; on the right the mouse is way out past the numeric keypad at an unnatural angle, whereas on the left your arm is more straight-on and the problem will not occur, or at least be less severe and longer-delayed than with your right.
My carpal tunnel symptoms do not include such localized pain…my entire hand just goes numb, and I find myself shaking it to get the feeling back. I’ve had surgery on the right, and now it’s fine except under severe conditions. The left goes numb when I sew, or knit in certain positions. You could try taping your fingers together and see if that gives you any relief, since it seems to be related to the position. But I’d talk to your doctor about it.
It doesn’t sound like carpal tunnel, but the only way to know if its carpal tunnel is for a neurologist to measure the nerve impulses through the carpal tunnel to see if they are distorting.
Untrue. EMGs may be the most definitive way to reveal which nerves are dysfunctional and where, but CTS can and is diagnosed frequently without doing EMGs. And by non-neurologists, too.
And the symptoms described by the OP sure don’t sound like CTS.
(and I do diagnose CTS, but only after doing a thorough exam)
I haven’t had carpal tunnel, but I have flirted with it, with repetitive motion strain to the point of getting tingling in my fingertips. The first day I felt that, I bought a pen tablet. The pain went away in a couple weeks, but if I have to work at another station for a couple days or more without my tablet my wrist will start to get sore again.
A graphic tablet may take some getting used to at first, but I like it so much better than a mouse. A given point on the screen is always the same point on the tablet. Eventually you will develop muscle memory so your hand will know exactly where on the tablet to go. It feels like a more direct interaction with your desktop, and requires a minimum amount of movement in the fingers and wrist compared to a mouse.