I used a splint at night for several months and got complete relief. Now I just need to wear it for a few nights if I have a flareup.
In a nutshell, the reason it hurts is because the tunnel in your wrist, that your hand’s nerves and tendons all have to go through, has become too small for the tendons going through it. Usually because the tendons are swollen. They’re being squished! Take anti-inflammatories, they really help with the swelling. (I like ibuprofen)
IANAD, I don’t actually have CTS yet–just on and off again pain that usually goes away overnight–but my mom does, and she’s a nurse, and she rarely shuts up about it (lol). One day I will have it too, if I stay in my current office job and keep up my gaming habit. I also take work comp claims for CTS all the freaking time. Every single day.
Women tend to get CTS more than guys because our carpal tunnels are smaller than men’s. Also there are more women in administrative positions. And when doing repetitive typing, my attention to ergonomics tends to fall by the wayside in favor of sitting comfortably. My ass and tailbone really start to hurt (like acutely, must shift around and do an uncomfortable chairdance) if I sit in an ergonomic position… so I alternate tucking legs, which is terrible in the long-term for my wrists and knees and shoulders. Oh well.
My mom, her sister, and both of my grandmothers have it, and I’m clearly heading in that direction. I haven’t been to the doctor yet partly because my insurance sucks and partly because I’m trying the Advil/brace route first. It’s worse in my left hand than my right, although at the moment both hands are giving me trouble.
My grandmothers both had surgery, but it’s been probably 15-20 years ago for both of them. I remember how barbaric it seemed, they both have awful scars and couldn’t use their hands for weeks. I’m guessing the surgical procedures have improved since then? Or are my grannies just slow healers?
Well, that’s about when I had my surgery…1990. My scar (which, as I said above, is a little different than most) wasn’t horrible-looking. My surgeon did a very neat job and all I have is a thin white line and some dots. The redness went away after about a year. And as I mentioned, I was using my hand, while still in the sling and bandages, by the next day to type and to clean a closet. After the stitches came out, I was doing my physical therapy every day and had full use of it and NO PAIN. So I think it’s possible your grannies were slow healers, or just liked to play up the “Oh, honey, my hand is just poorly, could you make dinner and do the dishes for me, there’s a good child” a bit. Maybe. Did I ever use that ploy? Oh, yeah…
I had a release done on my right hand a couple of years ago and it helped to beat the band. I still don’t have full grip strength, it still goes to sleep on occasion, and there’s still pain with overuse but it was completely worth it and a vast improvement.
I’ve had my wrist in a splint for almost a week now, and it does feel better. Unfortunately, it’s given me a very itchy prickly heat rash, but I got a roll of gauze, so that should help.
Just about everyone I’ve talked to says the surgery helped, so that’s going to be the goal. I just don’t see the benefit of more conservative interventions if there is something that will fix the problem once and for all.
I saw my doctor today. She’s not convinced it’s CTS because it’s the wrong nerve that’s misbehaving. So she sent me to get an x-ray of my neck and my wrist, and I’ve got an EMG/nerve conduction study scheduled for next month. I would rather go through unmedicated labor than go through that again, but it is what it is. She also gave me Mobic for the discomfort, which works better for this kind of pain than ibuprofen or naproxen has.
Unfortunately for me, I’ve got the feeling that it’ll be a lot of testing and a whole lot of “We know what your problem is, but there’s nothing we can do for it.” :mad: