Carpel tunnel...who has it?

[RobC]

To anyone that does, is there any sort of relief for it? I have no idea if that’s what I have going on, but it was suggested to me as a possibility. I took a foreman gig at my work a while back and it’s a shit load of computer work and messing with an iPhone all day. By late morning, my hands and wrists are killing me to the point that just touching the keyboard is no fun at all.

 

[4x4mechanic]

Wifey and I both suffer, I'm a mechanic and she does secritarial stuff. She had the surgery ten years ago and is much better, my insurance would cover the surgery, but I'd be off for two months healing up and don't have disability like the wife did. I can't afford to lose two months of income...

The main symptom that's a dead giveaway is your middle three fingers going numb. Those are fed via the nerve in the carpal tunnel. Your thumb and pinky nerves go a different route and aren't affected. If I have to work up over my head for very long or hold my hand / arm in one position for very long (like talking on the phone for long times) I get the pins-n-needles then my middle three fingers go numb soon thereafter. Rarely is there any pain, except when the feeling comes back, then it's pins-n-needles all over again, usually worse.

My wife wore hand braces at night and did some stretching excersizes for a month or two, but it didn't help much. Se got scheduled for the surgery soon thereafter, and has been fine ever since.

If you have access to occupational medicine thru work go see the doc, there are things that can be done to slow down the progression. Dunno if this helps, but I hope you get some relief...

 

[Filthy McChevy]

I only have it to the extent that dirt bike riding makes my hands go numb if I dont give them an occasional break from gripping the handlebars. Streetbike riding I get numb hands some too but it's easier to ride a streetbike not grippng the bars firmly all the time. Price of working with my hands a lot for over 40 years. My current job it isn't an issue, I can hunt and peck on a keyboard all day and my hands are fine. I have an adjustable tension hand grip exercise device that helps keep my hands strong and less gimpy too. My left hand especially can get painful then I work it with the gripper deal and it improves. Okay I think I avoided some bad jokes there.

 

[GC Budz]

Wife just had both wrists done, at seperate times of course.. she wishes she didnt wait so long to have it done.

 

[RobC]

I was curious if ice would help. Thought about trying that because I believe it’s inflammation around that nerve right?

 

[Void_of_Light]

If you sit at a computer try getting a mouse pad with a wrist rest built in. A rest for a keyboard may be a good idea if you type a lot. The mouse rest completely eliminated my hand pain. Been using it for 10 years or more now.

 

[Lilyota]

I had it...


Hands would fall asleep at night when sleeping, Driving, Riding the bike, Just sitting. Was horrible.

Went s a sports medicine doctor in NAPA that my wife found, First thing they did was look at my wrists via sonogram. confirmed the issue and then there on the spot gave me cortisone injections.

The next day it was like I was 18 again, no pain. They gave me some things to try and I did but in the end the pain came back. I think I did the shots for about 2 years.

They finally went in and cut me. But not the way you normally hear or see about.

They used a tiny saw inside a tube that went in at about the palm of my hand and came back out just beyond the wrist. the tube was about the size of a 16 penny nail. and everything was done from the inside. When I left there there were 2 cotton balls taped to my hand and wrist and I was told to leave them there for 20 minutes or so.



That was on a Thursday and I was back at work on a Monday. I had to have them done at separate times due to a blood pressure issue (I guess it got a bit high on the fist go)

They did the second one a month later.


Anyways the procedure is called the MANOS and was incredibly easy and didn't put me out of work. I worked for a water utility at the time and had worked in the water well industry for years before that working on pumps and turning pipe.

I do everything I did before the procedure and would never even know I had it.

 

[det107]

I have to ask, is it cutting the nerves?

Army bomb squad guys get nerves cut (lower forearms near elbows) to prevent hands shaking when defusing kaflooey toys... Same thing?

 

[WLDWUN]

Had it very bad in both hands. was miserable especially at night

About 6 years had the left one done in June, the right one done in December. about 45 minute procedure for each.
been great ever since.

you can have a nerve conduction test done to find out if that is the issue.
they put an electrode on you finger and around you elbow. give you s shock and measure the time it takes for the signal to travel. took 5 minutes and it was done

 

[Emiller22207]

If you sit at a computer try getting a mouse pad with a wrist rest built in. A rest for a keyboard may be a good idea if you type a lot. The mouse rest completely eliminated my hand pain. Been using it for 10 years or more now.

Also recommend switching to a trackball mouse and buy a couple of these: https://wrist-pain.com/wrist5.htm

Unlike the larger wrist braces, these to not restrict movement much. I wear them anytime I'm on the computer and the numbness which had been getting pretty bad is pretty much gone.

 

[4x4mechanic]

I have to ask, is it cutting the nerves?

Army bomb squad guys get nerves cut (lower forearms near elbows) to prevent hands shaking when defusing kaflooey toys... Same thing?

>NO!!!<

The nerve travels thru a "tunnel" in the heel of your palm, right above the wrist. The issues are caused by a tendon putting pressure on that tunnel and squashing the nerve. They go in and cut that tendon in two, and when it heals back it's longer and doesn't put pressure on the nerve anymore. Although I'm sure it's happened, I've never heard of anyone having recurring issues...