Carpel Tunnel Syndrome?
I wonder how many of you suffer with this?
My brace for my right hand is not helping much any more. I have had it for about 5 years.
The brace has a metal piece and that seems to be jabbing into my wrist/inner arm 3 inches above my wrist.
Is there a forum here for RSI?
Repetitive Strain Injury?
I saw a huge list of links at the TOS site....
and I have never done any research....
it is getting worse so I need to start learning.
Using the computer makes it worse.
thanks
bizi

Bizi -

My hubby had surgery on both of his, at different times of course. Day surgery, easy recovery and probably better than what you are going through now. I wouldn't let the grass grow any longer, see a specialist. Hubby had his done by orthopaedists. Good Luck!

Hugs,
Nancy

Hi Bizi, I had carpel tunnel release surgery a couple of years ago but as it turns out I did not get any relief from surgery. My wrist pain/numbness/tingling is coming from my cervical area where I have a syrinx.

But like you I found that the wrist brace was digging into my forearm so I went to a medical supply store and got one that comes up my arm just a little bit more and that seemed to help. You could also get a custom made one from a physical therapist. It is molded to your arm and hand so it is a perfect fit. Have you been to physical therapy for it yet? I found that I got alot of relief from the modalities that they use.

Anyway, I hope you get some relief and find something that works for you...Sue

Bizi, the surgery is not very painful at all and I have enjoyed the release of pain from both wrists for some years now. I had far rather get surgery and be done with it. Hope you can get some relief from the brace soon.
I have thumb surgery comming up July 10 and again I can't wait for it to get done and over with. So very tired of the bone on bone pain. Brace helps some but not enough and like you it gouges me! Wish I could end my other pain so easily. Gaye

HI Bizi,

Here is a great book from a PT named Sharon Butler with some exercises fro carpal tunnel. Us TOSers use her TOS book.

BUt everyone is right you should see s specialist and make sure that the pain is from carpal tunnel and not a distal pain from your neck that radiates down.

Sue what is a syrinx?

Thank you for your responces ladies.
I have had joint issues for the past 25 years.
I "crack" my neck, back and hips and have been getting headaches now.
It feels like my head and my neck aren't attached correctly. I hear little crunches and popping at the base of my head.
You are right I need to have this checked out.
I have been to a chiropractor before and have read some advertisements about helping with head aches...
I do need a longer brace...wonder where you get them?
How do you feel about chiropractors?
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