Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

jimi

jimi

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Serious question ..

Anybody had any experience of this? Did they have the op or did it just go away?

Reason I'm asking is cos I'm starting to suffer quite a lot with it but am too scared to go to ra doc!
 
I was told "Jimi" and "Serious Question" were an oxymoron.

Yeah, I had carpal tunnel syndrome. I was told it was a repetitive strain injury. Stopped DIY and hoovering, it slowly improved. Might have gone quicker if I had stopped sailing as well, but I wasn't willing to go down this route. I didn't fancy the injection.
 
It won't disappear until you stop doing whatever is causing it.

I spend my days writing software and it got steadily worse over about 5 years, to the point where it was always on my mind and I started to think about alternative careers. It "spread" to my shoulders and eventually sheeting in the jib would give my a sore arm for about two days...serious stuff!

GP not really interested and my research suggested that though stretching etc might help, the only real cure was to stop the problem activity. Surgery is absolutely the last resort...by the time you are at that stage permanent damage is almost certain.

Eventually I ascertained that it was the mouse that was causing the problem, not typing (although that didn't help) so I switched to using a tablet pen like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN...8382477-7645219

Over 6 months I got back to normal...never even think about it now and all for the sake of £20.
 
Happy to do it for you in Chbg were you to come. Simple op under LA and you will be wking as well as ever in a few days.
Caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the tight band of flexor retinaculum in the wrist. Get pains and numbeness in outer 2.5 fingers (thumb, fore and mid finger) and eventual wasting of the thenar eminence as the four muscles supplied by it lose innervation. Lateral pollicis longis, opponens pollicis, abductor pollicis brevis and flexor pollicis brevis - if memory from 30 years ago still works. treatment is rest and division of flex retinac if persists.
richard
 
Think its caused by climbing and mountain biking although computr mousing don't help. Do'nt really wish to stop these activities so suspect the op is the only real answer.
 
[ QUOTE ]
We could post the op live on Sbutt forum - that would be a first and take you through the 10000 posts!

[/ QUOTE ]Could you do one for me too.. Depuytrans Syndrome ??
 
Had it for years and years, since I was a teenager. Back then no GP seemed to know what it was, told me is was arthritis, which ran in my family. I went on with my life, unable to ski down the side of a mountain without stopping a couple times to shake feeling back into my hands, not being able to hammer two nails without stopping between them to shake out my hands.

Had the operations when I was in my 30s. Like getting new hands. Freakin' wonderful. Wish I had done it years before.
 
Re: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome live operation

Yee hah .. brilliant idea .. we'd need some forumites to post the dictated posts .. I nominate TCM and Parahandy as my seconds!
 
Seal oil

I changed my mouse to a roller ball and trained my left hand to use it. Now it's completely natural.

Also, was in the Antarctic aboard a ship with a Norwegian captain who took seal oil every day. It's full of omega 3's and other good and useful things. You can buy it in capsules from Newfoundland on the net. I now take two a day and they make an immense difference, not only to my sore arms but to my knees and generally arthritic skeleton. Really worth a shot.
 
Re: Seal oil

Get it properly assessed as soon as possible. In many cases it can be sorted in the early stages by a physiotherapist without any need for carpal tunnel release surgery. However, if surgery is needed, have it done. If untreated it can irreversibly knock out the fine movements of the hands so that you can't write, type or do up your shirt buttons.
 
Many thanks to all, scared into action, will take first steps tomorrow to see the quack. Actually its been a chronic condition exarcerbated recently .. despite belt feeding glucasamine, cod liver oil, VitB6 and stretching like TB's spin doctors!!

Incidentally I thoroughly recommend glucasamine as it has repaired my knacked knee cartiledges.
 
Before taking drastic steps, try getting a mouse mat with a gel wrist pad.



Or give up posting and get a life /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Actually did the gel pad etc a couple of years ago and started mousing left handed ... Got it in both hands now although RH is worse. Suspect that its more related to cycling and climbing though.
 
Re: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - cycling, climbing

Mountain bike?

If so, mountain bike bars (flat bars) are well known for causing wrist problems, because you can only ride (sensibly) with your hands in one position. I did a London-Cambridge charity gig once on a borrowed bike with flat bars and I finished with very painful hands.

Bar ends help, because you can switch hand positions from time to time. Or take up road riding with drop bars which give you three positions, on the tops, on the drops and on the hoods.

Been a long time since I climbed anything except stairs, but I do recall the hands suffered all sorts of abuse, being used as jammers, or holding small pinch grips. I can quite imagine that as you get older the hands start to rebel. Maybe it's time for a Stannah Face Lift?
 
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