You are (most likely) not my doctor.
The best minds in medical science believe I have radial tunnel syndrome. It’s like carpal tunnel syndrome, but higher on the forearm, just below the elbow. I earned my symptoms back in October, digging 120’ of trench for my hot tub. I started seeing my orthopedic about it in December, when it wasn’t getting better. He has since referred me to a hand/arm specialist.
Basically, if I carry something with my arm bent - like a coffee cup - it tightens up and hurts when I release. If I try to grab something quickly, like catching something I dropped, it hurts like hell. If I do thousands of other light things while twisting the arm, it hurts a bit.
Sometimes, like right now, it hurts to type.
But it isn’t the classic presentation. Both my ortho, and the hand/arm specialist he sent me to, poked at a spot on elbow, expressing surprise that I have no tenderness there. X-rays show no damage. MRI shows some inflammation , but no tears or other damage.
I had an EMG/Nerve Conductivity test done this morning, which was really, really fun. Or painful. One of those.
I’ll get my official results on that next Monday, but the doctor who ran the test said they looked fairly normal.
I’ve been doing Occupational Therapy for three months. I improved a bit initially, but plateaued fairly quickly. My strength is fine, and my range of motion is fine. It just…hurts. I had a cortisone injection last week, with minimal improvement.
I’ve been told that if I feel pain, I’m actually extending the injury. So this is one where I’m not supposed to “tough it out.”
I’m curious if anyone else has gone through this and can comment on how long it took to heal. I know these things can be slow and annoying, and I can be patient. There is a surgical option, but it’s more intrusive than carpal tunnel syndrome, because there are a lot of muscles in the way. Recovery time is much longer, apparently.
So I turn to the Dope, to keep me sane and give me hope! What do you know?