carpal tunnel question

[Maria Diestro]

I've had two cortizone shots and taken antibiotics for my right hand and both have worked in making it go away.

my hand now feels better but is not as strong as before.

anyways, i hurt it last week again. And its getting better now but i still kept my doctors appointment that i made last week for tommorrow.

Last time i went there he said that i had an option to get hand surgery? has anyone ever had this before?

what about carpal tunnel in general? any solutions (aside from sitting properly in your chair, using a special keyboard and wearing hand gloves to help maintain your hand posture).

this so sucks!

[%seRge%]

Learn how to ue the mouse with your other hand and switch periodically.

[dennis f]

Keith Emerson an amazing keyboard player had it...got it taken care of by surgery.....you might want to do a search on his name and the condition....I;m sure there's something about his results somewhere....

god bless
dee

[Terri 447]

go to www.orthohelp.com/exercts.htm (http://www.orthohelp.com/exercts.htm) for excercises.

hope this helps a lil' bit...

[Light Skinted Wif Good Hur]

Here's a little insight for those that don't know--there is a small canal(tunnel if you will)that all your nerves go through from your ar to your hand. When you do a lot of repetitive movement(typing, keys, assembly work)scar tissue builds up in this canal and puts pressure on the nerves in it. When people have the surgery the scar tissue is removed but it's not a guaranteed success. If you go back to doing the same movements after the surgery it will come back. I see this a lot at my job and I believe that I have it in both arms/hands. Good luck--I truly "feel your pain"!!! They do say that stretching well does help!

[ May 20, 2003, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: whyteout ]

[TAD]

Originally posted by whyteout:
Here's a little insight for those that don't know--there is a small canal(tunnel if you will)that all your nerves go through from your ar to your hand. When you do a lot of repetitive movement(typing, keys, assembly work)scar tissue builds up in this canal and puts pressure on the nerves in it. When people have the surgery the scar tissue is removed but it's not a guaranteed success. If you go back to doing the same movements after the surgery it will come back. I see this a lot at my job and I believe that I have it in both arms/hands. Good luck--I truly "feel your pain"!!! They do say that stretching well does help! this is true. surgery should be your last option. like %seRge% wrote, switch hands. take breaks every 15-20 minutes and stretch. open and close your hand. you can also get the Chinese health balls (http://www.ycyhealth.com/chinese_balls.htm). these are very therapeutic. always stay well hydrated & keep your wrist in a neutral position.

[Shannon]

I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and haven't had the surgery. People who have had the surgery saw results but several years later they've gotten the symptoms back. For me the cortizone shots didn't work for the pain. Going to a chiroprator and having acupunture was a better solution for me. Also changing my diet and taking certain vitamin supplements that build the nervous system and help with the inflamation was a great solution. Try Traumel (natural anti-inflamatory) and Arnica.. Living with carpal tunnel syndrome is more than a quick fix in my opinion. Ergonomic's is very important and should be a way of life for you now. Stretching and lots of breaks in between repetitive task is also recommended.. Feel free to email me @ urbanicity@aol.com if you have any additional questions.

[Maria Diestro]

thanks alot guys.. for the links and advice..going to read the info now..

going to the doctor today. :( but my hand feels way better, so i doubt i will do the surgery option.. or that he will even suggest that..

thanks again

[Ligament]

Do not get the surgery until you have *completely* changed the way you keyboard/mouse. I have seen plenty of "failed" carpal tunnel releases (surgeries) that fail because the patient goes directly back to the activities that caused it in the first place. The surgeons tend to overlook this vital point.

I too had carpal tunnel when I was a technical writer for a computer company. The carpal tunnel disappeared *entirely* in a few weeks after I changed careers, into one with minimal keyboarding.

There are ergonomic keyboards and mice that you should try extensively before you consider surgery. And like I said, even after the surgery the problem WILL return if you return to the injurious activity afterward.

all the best.

[dj c-los]

On the serious tip. I had it but didn't need surgery. If i made my right hand do an "L" letter on my finger, it would be located right at the joining corner of the letter.
Importantly...buy a very good wrist wrap (about $15.00). Wear it often for about a month. But keep using it there-on.
then change from a regular mouse to a trackball mouse that you control with your thumb.
Your hand muscles are sore and you need to let them rest so put other muscles in your hand use intstead.
you can email me if you need more info.
good luck.