Anyone have any advice about carpal tunnel?

[amyddss]

I'm in my early 20's and started feeling over the past few months a numb, horrible tingling feeling in my left hand. I thought it would just go away and to be honest actually thought it was pins and needles and must have been sleeping funny every night lol! Now it is absolutely unbearable and is also in my right hand. The doctor gave me maximum strength ibuprofen to take 3 times a day and said I should expect a letter to attend a hospital appointment about the nerves in my wrists and hands. It's so painful and just downright weird feeling! If it gets really bad then surgery is required but I'm hoping it wouldn't get to that stage. I was just wondering does anyone else have any experience with this and know anything that makes it feel better apart from tablets? I'm always picking my kids up and washing, housework etc so I can't not use my hands haha. And does anyone know what causes it as if it's nerve damage I don't know how it could have happened. Never experienced any trauma to my wrists/hands that I can think of and wasn't sure if it was quite common or not? Any replies are very much appreciated!

I think you can get it from repetitive strain injury like texting/typing on a
computer too much. My friend had it and she wore a splint thing when at home and it stopped it being so painful

I was wondering that myself although I wouldn't say I excessively use phones, computers etc especially since my kids have been born but I suppose it could be something that has developed over the years and gradually got worse. Never knew a splint could help with it. Thanks very much for your reply.

Most pharmacies sell wrist splints - they go by size, so perhaps pop into your local one and see if they can help? I had mild CTS a few years ago - had the nerve conduction test done, and just bought a splint, which I wore for a few weeks, and the problem disappeared.

An friend of mine has had both wrists done and was advised by private doctor to have it operated on ASAP before permanent damage.

I have just had surgery for carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome. I tried a splint but the damage was already done (I have been ignoring mine for years and years though) so surgery has been a last resort. I start physio soon to hopefully regain some use of the affected hand as my muscles have withered away on the affected side. The initial diagnosis involved a nerve conduction study which was uncomfortable at times but not unbearable.

I think using splints earlier might've helped me so it would be the first thing I would recommend.

I have moderate carpal tunnel in my right wrist and mild in the left.

I was given three options - surgery, an injection into the nerves in my wrist or wearing a wrist splint.

I chose to try the wrist splint. I only wear it when I go to bed and it has alleviated most of the problems. Occasionally I wake up and my right hand is numb but most mornings it is fine.

If the splint stops working then I will have to consider the other options.

I had the surgery, so glad I did. It took 2 weeks before I could drive and went back to work. It was a quick simple operation and I am so pleased with the result.
My consultant said it needed to be done otherwise I would have permanent damage.

I had terrible CTS for several months. Wearing splints overnight helped, as did getting a vertical mouse and ergonomic keyboard at work. Oddly, it seems to have gone into remission now, although I do get pins and needles very regularly. A friend had a similar experience; her GP told her that it can be a menopausal thing, although my GP didn’t suggest that to me.

What do you do with your hands? Playing guitar caused mine.

I had it really badly a few years ago, particularly in my left (non-dominant) hand.

I was given the option of surgery or wait a few months. I opted for waiting and it improved. I still have dead fingers and pins and needles when driving a long way but it's no longer painful at night and it's gone completely in my right hand.

It's to do with pressure on the nerves when they go through a small space in your wrist bones apparently.

I don't know why mine improved or whether it will get worse again in the future.

It often starts in pregnancy OP. I've had it for ages - now bad in both hands. I've had surgery on one side but it didn't work. Splints / wrist supports do help and steroid injections may be worth a go.

Is it worse at night OP ie does it wake you up? I had pregnancy carpal tunnel and had the splints to sleep in otherwise it felt like a horse was standing on my hands

I have started with tingling numbness in left hand and dr diagnosed carpal tunnel which I thought was unlikely having had it previously as it felt different - turns out it is a trapped radial nerve which causes similar symptoms. The key difference is that I don’t wake up in pain. If you do definitely try splints. I found them too hot and cumbersome in pregnancy so DH made me some out of a ruler and some bandage and tape blue peter style

I have had operations on both hands for CT. It is caused by the nerves being trapped OP. If your thumb, index and and middle finger are affected - it's carpel tunel. If it's your little finger and ring finger - it's the cubital nerve (which I have also had done but didn't decompress)

It is usually aggravated at night when we bend our arms in sleep, thereby trapping the nerve. If you don't have a splint, you can roll a towel and place it where your elbow bends to keep your arm straight during the night.
Good luck