Originally Posted by Tartan
I have recently heard two people who had tunnel carpal surgery that did not get a great result. One is in as much pain, if not more since her surgery and the other has numb hands. Her hands are so numb that she had to quit work. I think if the alternative to braces is surgery...I'd embrace the braces!
I too was diagnosed (by an orthopedic hand surgeon) with carpal tunnel. He ordered the wrist braces and they helped for a while. He then gave me cortisone shots in my right wrist that helped for about 3 mos. I did the injections for about a year and a 1/2. Being a surgeon, he wanted to do the surgery. I said no because of the fail rate. I was working for a pain management physician at the time. He did some ultrasounds on my wrists and right elbow and did find some impingement in my right wrist but the real problem was in my elbow! I had a nerve impingement in my elbow. He gave me a cortison shot that worked for about a month. The numbness came back. I noticed that if I was standing, I didn't have any numbness in my hands. I gave into the ortho surgeon and scheduled my surgery. As a nurse, I did some research and found that it could possibly be a neck problem. Went to a chiropractor, found a pinched nerve and arthritis in neck from a car accident 20 years ago. Cancelled surgery, had adjustments and treatments at the chiropractor for about 3 months and still do home stretching program and no further problems!! (knock on wood!)