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Carpal tunnel or other repetitive motion hand injuries.

3K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  jenniferann 
#1 ·
Lately I've been experiencing pretty significant pain in my hand and forearm when working with the knife for extended periods of time. I probably don't have the best technique but I work fast, precise, and rarely cut myself so its always worked for me, but somethings gotta give. Does anyone else have experience with repetitive motion injuries of the hand/forearm from knife work? Any recomendations as to how to change my technique or avoid the pain and make sure it doesn't get any worse with time? I'm pretty sure this isn't going to go away on its own without some changes being made as its been getting worse and worse. Thoughts or suggestions? Similar issues anyone?
 
#2 ·
I expierence the same problem in my knife hand. The real pain comes at night when it will wake me up and ill need to really spend a lot of time flexing and streching to get relief. For several years now I have put on a wrist brace at night and it give me relief, i also do streching excercises during the day and that helps too. They are both recomendations from an occupational thearpist I saw sseveral years ago. I also find that when I lessen my knife work/gripping anything for a long time, that The pain subsides a lot over the course of a few weeks. You shiuld definatly consult a professional in the medical arts.
 
#3 ·
I've had C-T surgery 3-X's. With a good surgeon it's an "In by 9 ... out by 5" kinda thing (I was actually out by 3). I don't remember missing much work at all. I was back full in no time flat.
 
#5 · (Edited)
works on some people not others. Did not work on me. Try cortossone shot first.
 
#6 ·
The fingers are called "carpels". There is a "tunnel" going through your wrist holding a tube made of ligaments that hold the bundle of nerves going into your hand. The surgeon will make a small incision at the base of your palm and lift out this hose-like structure. He will then slice out thin long pieces of these ligaments. They sorta look like the biscuits used for biscuit-joints when making furniture, but thinner and longer shaped [ () ]. This then relieves the excess pain-causing pressure. After this is done he just sticks it back in and stitches you up. The incisions from my "good Doctor" were 4 and 3 centimeters and took 4 stitches each. The biggest problems I had were not working in the kitchen but taking a shower and wiping my tuschy (I had to have my hand wrapped in a plastic bag to protect from getting wet or nasty). OK. I guess that might be TMI. But still ... I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for responding guys. Should probably just suck it up and get myself to a doctor or PT, eh? Its getting to the point where I can barely grip a knife or hold a pan when I first get to work in the am. Curious, what was your recovery time like after surgery?
 
#8 · (Edited)
Not long. 10-days / 2-weeks before the stitches came out I think. Then maybe 2 more weeks until full usage. Maybe a little longer.

edit: The more I think about this, the more accurate I want to be. After the surgery three(3) things have to happen: stitches come out, gashes heal over and wear a brace for the GP of it all. Give-or-take at least 2-weeks for each. I was real goofy after my last surgery. I think I rushed everything. Fortunately no harm - no foul.

I had the last surgery on the Friday after Thanksgiving ... I was bowling on New Year's Eve.
 
#9 ·
Last year i had some pretty bad pains in my hands, arms, wrist and elbows and i were always tired. At first i just thought it was normal work related stuff. But it didn't get any better so i went to the doctor for a check up. Turns out i were getting dangerously low on vitamin d. It might be worth looking into.
Mikael
 
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