I have carpal tunnel, it hurts, what do?

[Zero Gravitas]

Get professionally diagnosed, I was worried about this too but turns out my body is destroying itself in other more interesting ways.

[Blue Jam]

Had tennis elbow as an especially nerdy RSI caused by pipetting once (honestly not from etc). Werk sorted me out with a couple of physiotherapy appointments, where I got some massages (not like that you pervs) and prescribed some exercises, and told to use Voltarol (much better than ibuprofen gel) and wear a sexy tennis elbow cuff when pipetting. Things vastly improved in about a week. I also once had a ganglion cyst from typing my undergraduate thesis (again, honestly not from etc) and found a mouse pad with a wrist rest really helped.

See if werk can sort you out with a physiotherapist. A combination of exercises, Voltarol and something like an ergonomic management keyboard and a weird vertical ergonomic mouse might be the prescription for you.

[Kankurette]

I'm self-employed, so will have to make the physio appointment myself. Thanks for the Voltarol tip, I've not used it in ages but it can't hurt (and my stepdad's done his back in and he had a tube of it, I think it's helped him with the pain).

[drummersaredeaf]

A wrist splint is one of the first things mentioned with CTS and you should get one cheap. Important to keep your wrist straight, especially while sleeping, so any swelling can settle.

[Kankurette]

I've got one, I've been wearing it.

[Bently Sheds]

I once worked with a bloke who refused to use the company's new internal software because he reckoned all the mouse clicking would give him RSI. He stayed with his trusted method of endlessly bashing out repeated Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V ENTERs on his keyboard. Within a year he'd had two carpal tunnel operations and ended up working with a wanking brace on his arm and those twatty gel pad wrist wrests.

I felt it starting up a while back, so I badgered work for a Microsoft Ergonomic Surface mouse, which has helped immeasurably - also I noticed I would move my wrist & not my arm whilst mousing, so started moving the arm more, which has also helped. Letting go of the mouse when not needing to use it also helped.

[drummersaredeaf]

Have you heard of nerve 'flossing'? Basically gently motions to mobilise the nerve along its length.

If it definitely is CTS, the treatment plan will start conservatively with rest and stretching, moving to steroid injections. If it persists then the operation is pretty successful and low risk. Mine needed a second go because the first was a) unnecessary and b) performed by a nurse offering private services who failed to completely sever the ligament, thus filing the tunnel with scar tissue.

[Kankurette]

Have you heard of nerve 'flossing'? Basically gently motions to mobilise the nerve along its length.

If it definitely is CTS, the treatment plan will start conservatively with rest and stretching, moving to steroid injections. If it persists then the operation is pretty successful and low risk. Mine needed a second go because the first was a) unnecessary and b) performed by a nurse offering private services who failed to completely sever the ligament, thus filing the tunnel with scar tissue.

Sounds familiar. I looked up some stretching exercises for my wrists and will try those. It's been going on for 2 weeks now and I have a massive Italian job coming up, though it's proofreading so hopefully not too much typing.

[poo]

The only proper solution is to improve strength and range of motion throughout the kinetic chain.

[Proactive]

I used to do a lot of transcription from audio in my job, which I guess is basically the same task minus the converting it into a different language bit, and I took to using speech to text software (Dragon, specifically), which sped things up incredibly, and avoided the need to type almost completly. Would that be an option?

[Blue Jam]

Have you heard of nerve 'flossing'? Basically gently motions to mobilise the nerve along its length.

The exercises I got for my tennis elbow included a nerve flossing exercise. It was a massive help.

[drummersaredeaf]

Sounds familiar. I looked up some stretching exercises for my wrists and will try those. It's been going on for 2 weeks now and I have a massive Italian job coming up, though it's proofreading so hopefully not too much typing.

You were only meant to blow the bloody flexor retinaculum off!

[Cold Meat Platter]

I had a mate who had exactly this and within 2 weeks he was dead.

To be fair he was run down by a bin lorry.

[Underturd]

What a waste.

[canadagoose]

Doctor mate. I got carpal tunnel after a long-haul flight and it's still not quite right, but I had my arm examined properly. I actually need my left hand examined as well now because it's got carpal tunnel symptoms for some reason now but honestly, the doctor is the best way forward.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Sounds familiar. I looked up some stretching exercises for my wrists and will try those. It's been going on for 2 weeks now and I have a massive Italian job coming up, though it's proofreading so hopefully not too much typing.

Remember to only blow the bloody doors off

[PlanktonSideburns]

You were only meant to blow the bloody flexor retinaculum off!

BOLLOCKS

[Dex Sawash]

BOLLOCKS

But you've caused my to understand the first one so, well done

[Blue Jam]

Nowt wrong with me fingers but got an earworm now:

[drummersaredeaf]

Forgot some useful exercises:

Tendon glides that should destick and settle down the contents of your tunnel.



And eccentric loading using a light weight. They always say cans of beans, V but a 500/1000g dumbbell will do the job and be easier to grip.