(((Bizi)))

Hi bizi!! I too had carpel tunnel surgery about 7 years ago on my right hand. I would do it all over again as I haven't had a problem with it since! The surgery was done while I was awake, but I did not feel it. Because I was awake, there was no long recovery time in the hospital....I was outta there in a jif!! I just took tylenol for the discomfort afterward for a day or two. That discomfort was nothing compared to the pain and sleepless nights I had experienced prior to the surgery!!! I hope a new brace will make a difference, Bizi! Take Care, Dorrie

Bizi - are you wearing the brace while you are working?
The new thinking is that will cause more problems in the long run because you will change the way you are using your arm and pain may travel up into your shoulder.
The last couple of years the new thinking is to wear a brace only while resting, relaxing or sleeping.

The chiro I found is very gentle with his adjustments , I feel very comfortable with his treatments {been going since mid 04}
- plus he does other PT type treatments - ultrasound, low level laser, INF stim, Triggerpoint/ massage.
He specializes in geriatric care- so that might be something to ask about when you are looking for a good one. Many will have a free or discounted evaluation and you can use it to get a feel for the doc.
Carefulness, caution, thoroughness, no fast/rough adjustments are things to look for in a good DC.
I also had found an advanced PT guy that was very good too.

As Shelley mentioned many of the therapies for TOS are good for most RSI also. Out useful links sticky -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=84


and this from sorehand-
{ http://www.ucsf.edu/sorehand/ }

== RSI RESOURCES ON THE WEB ==
* The Typing Injury FAQ (frequently asked questions), a.k.a. TIFAQ, is an educational site provided by the CTD Resource Network, Inc.
http://www.tifaq.com/
o This site contains a wide variety of information about repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), resources for dealing with these ailments, and a broad description of assistive products to reduce injury risk and symptoms. Many of the entries are annotated. Just starting your research into RSI? You may want to start at the Best WWW sites section of the TIFAQ.
o Also hosted at the CTDRN site, is the archive of The RSI Network Newsletter. Subscribe to this very informative, free e-mail newsletter by sending mail to RSINet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
* Repetitive Strain Injury page maintained by Paul Marxhausen - Topics of particular interest include hints for musicians and FindADoc.
http://eeshop.unl.edu/rsi.html
* FindADoc - a non-commercial, voluntary effort to list specific practitioner references and general suggestions for locating Health Care Providers for RSI patients. Sorehanders: If you HAVE received competent and knowledgable care for RSI, please consider sharing information about your health care provider with people who are in sore need of one by submitting your referral to this resource.

Well I figured out what trigger this last bit of trama. For the past 3 weeks
I have been using a pair of clippers on toe nails for my job,They came defected and right off the bat they were not as shrp as the old pair but still used them. I had too trim a clients nails that were very thick and I put all of my weight sqeezing those nippers and strained my wrist hand that way.
I will go back to using my old pair until I can get a new good pair and will just have to be very very careful with them.
glad that i figured this out and that it was not just the computer.
wearing the brace is more painful so I am going with out it for now.
must pay close attention to my techniqe....and posture. hubby gave me some stretching exercises to do as he has studied this alot since he plays classical guitar and faces these issues all of the time.
I am not resting my hand on the bar now jsut typing with my fingers up...
this seems to help..my forearms are not touched by anything or weight.
I switched back to my old clippers and will buy anew pair tommorow.
bizi

Learning how to use my left hand for the nouse is easier than I thought.
Bought new clippers today and hopefully they will work out ok...even driving seemed to strain my arm....
I will be posting less....
hope you all are doing well.
bizi

bIZI BE CAREFUL OF THE LEFT HAND TOO. i HAVE GOTTEN MUCH WORSE WITH MINE SINCE THE RIGHT HAS (whoops...didn't mean to shout ) gotten to the point of needing surgery on my thumb. Carpal tunnel is the same way...overuse of the opposite hand will cause it to get in a bad way.
I have driven the car with one arm for years, due to my C-spine issues. Hope you feel better soon and please don't post less....we will miss you. Just post in short hand like...how r u, I b fine...etc! LOL We will understand. My daughter and I do it if we instant message each other. Actually it is a good way to save all our hands and our necks too!
Hugs and friendship , Gaye

Bizi do you have numbness or tingling in any fingers?

pinky & ring finger = ulnar nerve/cubital tunnel or TOS { symptoms are coming from the neck/pecs/collarbone areas}
index/middle finger = radial nerve

Oh here's a good webpage - so I don't get it wrong LOL
http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/repetitive_stress.shtml

hi gaye and Jo,
thanks you for your sweet replies.
I have numbness in the pinky and 5th fingers if I wear my brace toolong Ie; am on the computer too long my hand swells as well. I also "figured out" that I have been really abusing my right hand...have a suitcase on wheels that I use for work and it's handle gets stuck in the up postion...I have been banging..forceing it to go down with all my weight repeatedly...no wonder my arm is all messed up.
the tendons in my forearm hurt and this is why the brace hurts. Using the mouse on the left side helps alot.
I got a permanent curl put into my hair yesterday.
I could not even hold my head up at the bowl my neck muscles are so bad...I had to stand up and lean over the sink...I wonder if this has anything to do with my arm...or perhaps that is another problem area....
Thanks for the link jo and I will go there right now.
Just typing for a couple of minutes has my 4th finger numb already.
~sigh
bizi

I really suggest that you get it looked into or at least see if you can get some good qualified phys therapy - I'd hate to see it develop into a chronic RSI or TOS type of thing. I should have mentioned that if you having to use/wear the brace for 5 yrs isn't a good sign.
Just off and on I hope- occasionally??

upper body posture & alignment is something to be aware of too.

shoulders = rolled forward? hunched? uneven?
head = often tilted, angled, jutted or carried forward of the body?
someone may have to help you check your alignment from the side.

the last post in out TOS sticky has a link to some posture & therapy videos
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=84

dear Jo,
I went tothe link fand looked at the diagnostic algarythms...wow is that confusing.
I am not sure what some of those words mean but will look at it some more.
thank you again for the link.
bizi