I had carpal tunnel surgery last week. Anybody willing to share their experience with this? Did it provide relief for the long term? How long before you were able to swing a hammer? Not being able to work is driving me nuts!
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Steering wheel in yer pants?
Forrest
LOL! Yea, can't drive as fast with my left hand!
9 and 8 years ago. One hand at a time. Happier than a pig in shid that I had it done. Had an orthopod do it.
Takes about 3 months to fully get rid of the hardness around the wrist from the surgery and subsequent inflammation. Only until this hardness goes away will you become free from symptoms.
Take it easy. Let yourself heal properly and without provacation. The better the healing process, the sooner the hardness goes away.
I found myself trying to finish a 10x8 pad for my swimming pool equipment (damn finishers forgot it) as the ceement was setting up the same day I had the surgery. (Driveby surgery. Came home as they were driving away.) It ended up popping two stitches and delayed things a bit, but no pernament damage.
That's how I learnt about ceement microtiopping products.
My aged aunt had it done on both wrists a year ago, she is 100% fine now. So happy she did the surgery
I was developing intense pain in my wrist/forearms from work. The level of pain was just under slamming your finger in a door.
Repetitive motion for years.
I went to a massage therapist about 3 years ago. I was fortunate that CTS had not fully set in. So for 3 years every 2 weeks I have my forearms and hands massaged. It has kept me from the knife. I hope that I don't have to go that route.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it"
Hope the massage thing keeps working for you. I tried several cortizone shots, worked great for a while but kept coming back. Doc said I needed surgery because thumb muscle could atrophy. After I looked up atrophy in the dictionary, decided to have surgery. Need my thumbs for fishin!
That's right. The big fat musclular bulb at base of our thumb does get smaller with CT. That's how the Orthopod made his quick dx. My right thumb muscle (I'm right handed), had become significantly smaller than the left. I hadn't noticed it until he pointed it out.
It's normal now.
Thanks Pete. I hear mostly good things about the surgery but a mechanic friend of mine had a terrible time with it. Probably because he went back to work 2 weeks after surgery. I'm trying to take it easy but it is hard to do, can't even hold a fishin rod yet! Thanks for the encouraging words.
Ask your doc whether he is doing this "open" vs laprascopic. Ask about the pros and cons of each method.
un76xx got bit by the bug, apparently. He'll have to append his question here, or open a new thread with a different title.
I did get bit by the bug - I am not liking this site as well as before but that might just be me and my reluctance to switch to 'new' computer styles. The Doc told me it is laprascopic - two small incisions that will require a stitch each. I did review
WebMD and they gave a fairly complete rendition of the pros and cons of each. Just wondered if anyone else had experienced the surgery - what type - and if they had suggestions on ehab.
Thanks, Mike
I've had both hands done in
I've had both hands done in the last 6 years. Wish I had it done many years before. After the stitches came out, doc said I could do anything I felt like doing.
The only real problem I had was putting pressure on the ball of the hand. Right painful. It took about 6 months for the incision to fully heal so that pain goes away -- typical per doc.