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I have to have carpal tunnel surgery. I hate this, it hurts so much and I am worried that I may not be able to use my hand as well after the surgery. Does anyone have experience with this, such as how long it takes to heal? I also have to have some kind of nerve test which includes needles and electrical devices of some sort. What is this. Any info would be nice.
Location: Moved to town. Miss 'my' woods and critters.
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check out this web site:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm - broken link)
May be of some help.. Good luck and good health to you
The test that you will have is called an EMG. It will test to see how much impaired the nerve is. It's no problem. You just lie there while the MD plays with your arm and hand. He sticks the needles where you don't have much sensation.
Now, about the surgery. Everyone is different. I had mine on my right wrist (I am right handed) on Saturday morning. I went to work on Monday. What I could NOT do is pick up anything with that hand, nor put any pressure that bent the wrist bad even a little. I had to use my left to eat with, and though I hate to mention this, wipe my rear. If I had known that, I would have practiced a little before the surgery.
Washing myself was a problem, so was putting on makeup. But I managed. After a week or so, I began beginning to do more and more. I think the total healing time was about four weeks.
Considering the pain I had before, it was well worth any aggrevation.
Hi there! I do medical transcription for hand surgeons - seems everyone is in a little splint or bulky dressing for a week, then that comes off and you might wear a splint at night or if you're uncomfortable...and for several weeks you can't push, pull or lift more than 5 lbs. with the operated hand - after that, they will have you gradually increase your activities. Sometimes my surgeons release a person after the 10 day check up and tell them to only come back if there are problems....most people don't even take the post op pain meds because the relief is almost instant. Padgett's right, total healing and back to normal is about 4 weeks, sometimes less....and don't have both hands done at the same time because you run into the obvious hygiene problems as mentioned! Some people do elect to have both done at one time if both hands are equally affected and they want to take minimal time off from work, but it poses some problems that are probably best left to the imagination.... :-)
As far as using your hand afterwards, it should not be affected. You will be a little weaker in that hand more from disuse than anything else, but do your exercises and you'll be back to normal but without the pain in no time!
I know several people who have had the surgery. IF YOU DO NOT IDENTIFY AND STOP THE BEHAVIOR THAT CAUSED THE CONDITION IT WILL COME RIGHT BACK. I have lived with CT for close to 20 years. I will not have the surgery, as the repetitive motion that caused it is part of my daily life.
True story coming up. One of my sons had a friend that had planned to have them both done at the same time. I warned him, and warned him and warned him some more.....it didn't do any good.
He was staying with his grandmother and when he had his first B/M he says the thought long and hard about what I said. He came very close to calling his grandmother in to wipe his behind. He knew she had done it many a time when he was in diapers, but somehow, this was different.
I had carpal tunnel and I refused surgery because they doctor said that I would never regain the muscle in my palm. I went to a chiropractor and in two weeks it was gone. My muscle returned to my palm. I am also curious if water with ice in it would help. I have used that on other injuries that doctors could not cure, like pinched nerve in toe. I couldn't walk well for 3 years, and one day I decided to put my foot in ice water and in less than a week I was able to walk. Then I had plantars (whatever) on my heel, and I couldn't walk. I tried the ice water and it worked. Also capral tunnel could be stemming from the neck as can foot pain. I remember walking into an office one day and having someone say something horrible to me that caused my neck to tense, and then I got pain in my wrist and in my foot, so I had to hobble out of there. But since soaking my feet in ice water I have not had that problem when tense. Going to a physical therapist can also help many things like muscle tension in shoulders and neck.
Hi there! I do medical transcription for hand surgeons - seems everyone is in a little splint or bulky dressing for a week, then that comes off and you might wear a splint at night or if you're uncomfortable...and for several weeks you can't push, pull or lift more than 5 lbs. with the operated hand - after that, they will have you gradually increase your activities. Sometimes my surgeons release a person after the 10 day check up and tell them to only come back if there are problems....most people don't even take the post op pain meds because the relief is almost instant. Padgett's right, total healing and back to normal is about 4 weeks, sometimes less....and don't have both hands done at the same time because you run into the obvious hygiene problems as mentioned! Some people do elect to have both done at one time if both hands are equally affected and they want to take minimal time off from work, but it poses some problems that are probably best left to the imagination.... :-)
As far as using your hand afterwards, it should not be affected. You will be a little weaker in that hand more from disuse than anything else, but do your exercises and you'll be back to normal but without the pain in no time!
Good luck...!
Is it true that I will loose muscle in my arm. I 10-key all day at my job and need the ability to do this. I have this injury due to the work that I do and I wonder if I will be able to do the job after the surgery. I do the payroll for a company of 700 and the 10-key is enormous. I am very fast and this is a strong tallent of mine. I am worried it is going to effect my job. Should I just live with it (don't know how I can but I'll try), or do I take a chance and have the surgery?
The problem with a lot of things that relieve the pain is that while you are trying them out, the nerves to the muscles that control the thumb and fingers are slowly being destroyed. Then it doesn't hurt anymore because the areas are numb. Then the muscles atrophy.
If you depend on your fingers to earn your living, (typing, other repetitive motions) and you lose the use of them, you are in a big bad fix. Sometime just bracing the wrist for a while works. Pregnant women have the problem because of extra fluid in the area pressing on the same nerves. The baby comes, the pain goes away. Even obesity can make it worse. The EMG will show more about what is going on in your wrist.
Sometimes, a person will do too much, too soon after surgery and mess up everything. Then, of course, they wish they had not had it done. It's always the fault of the surgery, never because they didn't do what they were supposed to do afterwards. The patient simply MUST do things properly to avoid post surgical damage.
I have never heard of anyone losing the muscles in the arm. I suppose it's possible if left untreated long enough, but I doubt it. I do know the muscles in the hand can be destroyed if it's ignored long enough.
Yeah, I know all about using the ten key calulator. That was where mine was intolerable. I switched over and used my left hand for a while, but as soon as I went back to the right hand, the pain started again. It's the angle of the hand and wrist that does the damage. Can you lower the calculator so that it is lower than your desk? Put it on a small stool or table at right angles to your desk?
Now, How is my hand today? just fine! It was done about 40 years ago, I not only kept up with my job, I also played the organ for church and a piano for fun. I cannot tell the difference between before and after. maybe I was just very lucky and had an excellent surgeon, but I think the surgery is well worth it. The alternative was quiting work.
Good luck!!
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