So I’m puttering around Chez Doors last week, when I notice that my left arm, wrist and hand hurt, and that they get worse when I move them. Finally, yesterday, it hurt so much to do anything that I went to the ER to be checked out. I’d had problems before, but it was never this bad. The ER doc ordered an X-ray, which was negative for acute injury, so he told me he’s pretty sure it’s CTS, and that I needed to follow up with my regular doc ASAP to initiate treatment, as in call for an appointment as soon as I got home. The soonest I can be seen is August 22, but oh well. He also told me to wear a splint and gave me a prescription for naproxen for the pain.
Even though I won’t be seen for about three weeks, I took the appointment, because it HURTS! I’ve got the splint on now, and it still hurts to use my hand. I’m sure it’ll feel better, but I still want to get some sort of treatment going because I’d rather not go through this again.
So what are your experiences with CTS? Did you have surgery? What was that like? Did you have any other treatments? What pain meds worked? Is there anything I can do before I see my doc? I know, these are a lot of questions, but this shit HURTS! :mad: and I’d like to know what I’m looking at in terms of real-world options.
First, you say it “hurts.” Do you also have a “pins and needles” feeling in your hand? Do you find it difficult to hold things? I’ve never known anyone who actually had carpal tunnel who didn’t complain of those things.
Second, when my doctor diagnosed me, she gave me a wrist splint to wear at night, and told me that 90+% of her patients with carpal tunnel got better wearing it. It cost me less than $20. I also tried to be aware of how I held my hands and wrists during the day, and tried to hold them in the position the splint did. My symptoms totally remitted within a week or so. Patience.
I do have the pins-and-needles feeling; that’s when I knew something really was wrong.
The splint really does seem to help, as does resting it on a pillow and not using that hand. (I’m typing this on iPad, which I can use one-handed.) Having had hand surgery on that hand in the past, I am not anxious to do it again. Still, it HURTS! :mad: and I want it to stop hurting. But I agree that surgery may be a little drastic.
All I can suggest is, hang in there for a few weeks at least. (I don’t think you said how long it’s been.) My doctor told me that surgery is a rip-off for the vast majority of CTS patients. Her nurse had actually had problems with both her radial and ulnar nerves, and the nurse told me she used splints for almost a year before concluding that they’d failed and agreeing to the surgery. Both of them said that they’d seen so many patients be completely healed with splint use that they were really reluctant to recommend surgery except as a last resort.
They definitely were right about me. In fact, after wearing the splint for a few months, I got better, and have never had a relapse, even though I am at a computer just as much as I ever was.
I had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome so bad that my hand and arm from the elbow down was in such bad shape that I could stick my skin with a pin and not feel it at all, yet at the same time the whole wrist area was so sore that it would have me in tears at times.
It was in my right wrist. I did some research about having the surgery and after reading/hearing about too many horror stories I decided not to get it. What I did instead was pretty much completely stop using my right hand. I trained myself to be left handed for everything except writing, which I don’t do much of anyway. So eating, mousing, cleaning, everything done with the left hand and always wore the splint on my right hand.
It took years to get better. After about 7 years it was about 80% better and now, after about 12 years, it’s about 90% better.
Now it’s just second nature to do everything with my left hand and I find I use my left hand to write small notes, like grocery lists.
Even though it took so long, I’m still glad I didn’t have the surgery.
Progressively worse over time. It took a few years for it to get that bad. I’d wake up in the night in agony sometimes. I feel sorry for anyone who has it because it hurts so bad.
Not to be judgmental or anything (because I waited quite awhile to see a doctor), but did you just not go to the doctor until it was really bad? Or were you using splints during that time?
I never went to see a doctor about it because I like to live in denial. :o Maybe if I’d not waited and just gone to the doctor, it wouldn’t have been so bad.
You need to see a neurologist. They have a test that runs a small charge from your figures to your elbow that will determine if you have CTS. It’s pricey but my insurance required it. If you have it do not wait any longer than you have to. The pain is the result of damage being done to your nerve. I was six weeks from seeing my GP to surgery with no permanent damage to the nerve. My brother waited six months and will always have pain from the nerve damage.
Surgery went well. Wore a plaster bandage for two weeks when they took out half the stitches. At week three they removed the other stitches and did the other hand. Surgery on Firday I was back at my desk on Monday
I’m going through the VA precisely because of the cost. I had to have an EMG/conduction study some years back, so I know they’re not cheap. It’s also easier to see a specialist, and they do a reasonably good job of coordinating care so I probably won’t have to go through a lot of rigamarole to get what I need.
I got mine the old-fashioned way, from being pregnant, and lived with it and the splints for 8 years ('82-'90) before having the surgery. Sleepless nights with my hand alternately propped up or dangling, constantly shaking my wrist…not fun at all with two small kids. It would get better after each pregnancy ended, but then just progressively worse, until I was dropping things all the time. The surgery was easy…they also took out a giant-cell tumor in my palm, so I have an interesting scar on my right hand. The left hand wasn’t bad enough for surgery, and I still get symptoms when I use the sewing machine or knit, but not during any other time…it is just 1000% better. And I know how to limit the strain when using the sewing machine. I’m so glad I had the surgery. The worst part was getting the stitches out of my palm, but I was cleaning out a closet and typing data into a computer within two days of the surgery, so it didn’t slow me down at all.
I have some tingling in my right hand sometimes, and occasionally pain when trying to grip things. I associated it with the cold weather last winter, mostly in the mornings. Sometimes I could barely grip my tooth brush, and at work (kitchen) holding my knife was uncomfortable. Oddest thing is if I hold my arm in certain positions, my thumb will contract into my palm on its own. Its a very odd sensation, but it stops if I “loosen” my arm pit. Maybe I am pinching a nerve in that position and its unrelated, who knows…
Anyway, perhaps I should look into one of these splints to see if my symptoms improve. Can anyone recommend a product, or where to go to look at one?
Yes… I know, I should go see a doctor, and no one is giving me medical advice, and I could have something much more dangerous… I just feel annoyed at the problem right now. If it persists and the splint doesn’t improve things, I will go see a doctor about it.
As I’ve learned over the years, there is a lot that can go wrong in that area.
I suggest going to a medical supply house and talking with someone who can recommend a splint that fits and that works for you. The one I have keeps my wrist and hand in a decently neutral position, which helps a lot with the pain and tingling, and it limits my motion, so I don’t do anything that will aggravate my wrist. Unfortunately, it goes all the way up my forearm, which is miserable in the heat.
I’m seriously considering surgery, if it’s an option for me. I’d rather be out of commission for a short period of time if it means dealing with the problem once and for all.
A friend at work had surgery on both sides for CTS. His surgeon told him this simple diagnosis method. When you hold a phone to your ear for ten minutes, and your ring and pinkie fingers go all tingly, you’ve got it.
Not all hand and arm pain are CTS. I had “tennis elbow” and severe tendinitis from repetitive motion. At times, I couldn’t pour a glass of wine without using both hands.
The nurses and safety people at work said, “If you keep doing those motions, it could become a permanent problem.” I gave up trying to learn to play the guitar.
I’d like to chime in, have had two surgeries for it on my right hand, and one on the left, developed the problem from work related issues.
One of the things my doctor recommended was to take low dosages of an NSAID, something like ibuprofen (avail over-the-counter in 200mg tablets/capsules) which has a anti inflammatory effect. You don’t need much, maybe try a 200mg tablet in the morning and one with supper in the evening. My doctor who is a hand specialist also said that it would likely take a couple weeks or so before this treatment would benefit, so consistency is the key. A small amount but regularly. This I think really helped me, my last surgery was back in 1990 and I think I pretty much have the condition beaten at this point. I don’t often wear a splint/wrist immobilizer any longer but have in the past and second the recommendations for wearing this item when opportunity allows.
All I know is that it’s not very fun. I have it in both wrists, along with tennis elbow in my right arm. My arm tingles at a lot of different angles, even using the splints. I usually use those for work, considering it’s retail. Sometimes I can’t drive, the pain or tingling (or both) are so debilitating (I have a hell of a time driving sometimes). I have tried physical therapy (that was a joke for me…made little progress if any) along with pain relievers. The pain relievers and no use of those joints are the best advice. I do know people that have had surgery but sometimes it does not work or the damage is too great. I know my mom loves the fact she’s not being woken up all night by her arms.
Whatever route you choose, I wish you to be pain-free!
I used splints day & night for about two years with very little relief. (just right wrist) It finally got so bad I didn’t sleep much. Went for the test, got referred for surgery, had surgery and the pain was gone. I had outpatient surgery and on the way home in the car I told DH: the pain is gone. He said oh you’re still under the anesthetic. But I have literally never had a moment of pain since. That was four years ago and I am on the computer all the time (which is definitely how I got the injury in the first place). Apparently opening up that tunnel did indeed solve my problem and I didn’t have permanent nerve damage despite letting it drag on so long. I have heard of people not being helped by the surgery but I personally don’t know anyone like that; all the people I know were helped if not cured. I was clearly totally cured. Good luck, MsRobyn!
