[A. J. Di Liberi]

I read a number of posts in the Pro forums and wanted to relate my experience.

My hands have been going numb for years, there where days I couldn’t hold a coffee cup. Not wanting to be cut I suffered through it until it reached the point I couldn’t stand it.

I waited to long… July last year besides the carpal tunnel release, I also needed the ulnar nerve decompressed and moved.

There is still some pain and stiffness in my right elbow from the surgery, but the pain and numbness from the pinched nerves is gone.

I no longer wake in the night with pain and a dead hand, for me having the operation made a world of difference, I’m starting to get the strength back.

Had the carpal tunnel release on the left hand this past Monday, it’s to early to tell, I hope it works as well as it did on he right.

The doctors tell me I’m lucky there was no permanent nerve damage.

If you have this problem, don’t wait to long.

Nerve damage can cause the permanent lose of use of your hand and/or forearm.

[deltadoc]

I can only relate my own experiences, but the surgeon wanted to cut the carpal ligature. My fingertips were so numb I couldn't button my shirts. This lasted about 9 months as I went through the company's "grinder procedure" trying ergonometric desk postioning, stretching exercises, wretched wrist splint (it was so tight, and was the biggest size available, it made the problem much worse).

But the State guy who monitors workman's comp issues told me that fully 50%of the outcomes of those that took the surgery ended up worse than before. His stated reason was that the carpal ligature eventually heals itself with scar tissue and the scar tissue created more compression on the carpal nerve that the restraint of the ligature originally induced on the swollen nerve in the first place.

I eventually found out about iontophoresis, and the administration of dexamethsone sodium phosphate at the wrist site using a prescription system known as the Dupel made by Empi Corporation.

It solved my problem so well and so quickly (within 3 weeks of 3 x a week 20 minute treatments) that I went to work for them!

Anyway, the carpal tunnel never came back, I never had to have surgery, and I'd be pretty happy if I hadn't contracted osteoarthritis of the fingertips~!

doc

[phatch]

For PC wonks, the right keyboard can help a lot if the situation isn't too advanced. When I switched to the Kinesis Contour keyboard, my hands stopped going numb at night. This is expensive as keyboards go, but very worth it. ( Kinesis Corporation - Computer Ergonomics )

The other handy doodad is a handheld gyroscopic ball. Sold mostly for grip and arm development, slower longer rotations are good for carpal tunnel cases. REI carries these and they can be ordered many places on-line. Best brand is Powerball.