rrkraft

I did everything that everyone else did, including the surgery, but I did one more thing and that is acupuncture. A lot of people do not think to do something like acupuncture because it is just not that well known here in the US to do like it is in other countries. But as my Grandpa said, "I may not agree with that countries politic's and religion but that does not mean they are stupid and would do something for centuries if there was not something to it." So I've researched and added to my therapy pure, pure essential oils, really good supplements in my diet, and acupuncture. Make sure you get a top of the line hand specialists too. I'm glad I have one because after the carpal tunnel surgery I had set in RSD. The pain before the carpal tunnel surgery was a piece of cake for me, when the RSD set in, I wanted to die. The acupuncture and ViSalus and K-48 has helped cut that pain down a lot. Good Luck in whatever you decide.

cheri stonespinner

The advise I recieved from a chiropractor (because I crochet compulsivly) is to stretch my tendons in a yoga prayer pose often taking a break from stitching from time to time. I quilt on the side and have taken up knitting to vary my hand motions ( the addiction to this board is another varied hand motion) :lol: :lol: :oops:

konahonu

Yes, it may sound strange but when I started doing yoga (a beginning class) my carpal tunnel probelms completely went away. I have continued to do yoga and have not had any reoccurance of carpal tunnel pain. It's worth trying :)

Cheshirecatquilter

These are all good suggestions for temporary relief, but it can still progress to cause permanent nerve damage. Your doctor should order a test that measures the electrical signals being transmitted by the nerves there. If it shows a reduction you ought to consider the surgery.
I had reached that point that pain extended up to my shoulders before I had it done on each hand, but the relief was immediate. I even watched the surgery on a monitor as it was done -- fascinating! I went home and put on rubber gloves to keep the incision dry, and very carefully carried on life as usual. After one surgery I went out to my husband's company XMas party the same night, only needing some tylenol to stay comfortable.
If you wait too long to opt for the surgery you may be disappointed in the results, as you may still have numbness and clumsiness afterwards as my elderly aunt recently found from trying to tough it out too long.

akisan

I had Carpel Tunnel on both hands. Had surgery on both and it was the best thing I've ever done. No more pain and I am still quilting.

rrkraft

Yes, you do not want to wait too long to have the problem with your hands taken care of. By the time I went in for surgery, I no longer had feeling in my finger tips, it was blasted scary. I could not feel anything in my finger tips at all. Being a artist and working with clay, it was scary for me. My Dr. was awesome, he even came to the college to see the art work that I do. When I went into surgery he told me because I'd gone too long he could not promise me the feeling would come back into my finger tips. When I awakened from surgery he was standing over me and asking me if I could feel him pricking my finger tips, at first I could not but after a few hours the feeling came back, I had so many people praying for me. I know Heavenly Father played a part in helping my Dr. do what he needed to do in healing me. I did everything before the surgery, brace, icing, meds, chiropractor, but sadly none of that worked for me. Everyone is different. I've often wondered if I had not gone so long if the RSD would have set in. But hindsight 20/20 one never knows. Whatever you do I wish you luck.

guntherquilter

I work for a neurosurgeon. Carpal tunnel syndrome is when the nerve gets pinched at your wrist area. An EMG should be done for definite diagnosis. However, a compete exam should be done to rule out any possibility of any problem that may be coming from the ulnar nerve at your elbow or from the nerves in your neck. We have seen patients that have problems in all 3 areas! You don't want to have the carpal tunnel surgery without the positive EMG (nerve conduction study done by a neurologist). The EMG will also define if there are problems at the ulnar nerve or cervical nerves. I have seen patients who present with carpal tunnel syndrome when in fact they have a ruptured disk in their neck. The EMG clarified this. A MRI of the neck then gave additional positive proof. Carpal tunnel surgery can be done as an outpatient procedure. The procedure itself takes about 30 minutes. If you can get relief with conservative measures--with the braces and anti-inflammatories, by all means choose that first before surgery. Surgery is not always the answer and does not always "cure" the problem! I have seen the surgery work wonders for patients. The key here is the correct diagnosis. Good luck to you!

scrappylouisa

I had surgery on both wrists 3 weeks apart. I had lost about 90 percent of the use of my hands before I had it done......now they both back to normal with no problems. I had a plastic surgeon that specialized in hand surgery.

nancy59

I had it years ago in my wrist from typing and 10 keying, I tried the wrist brace but gave up when I could not turn a door handle to open a door and had the surgery. Since then I have had 4 trigger fingers. They are from repetitive motion and had the surgeries to fix those also. When I changed jobs, my problems quit.

Wingsofjoy

Alex Anderson once had a Doctor on her show that use to air on HGTV. She showed examples of how to quilt properly to avoid Carpal Tunnel and back problems while sewing on a machine and also hand quilting. Here is a list of things I remember that she said.
1. When sitting in a chair, adjust the chair so you knees are the same height as your hip bones.
2. Try to keep your hands level with you elbows (or the same height) when sewing on a machine or hand quilting.
3. Make sure you keep your wrist straight when hand quilting. The Doctor said this was very important to keep from getting Carpal Tunnel. She mentioned that a lot of quilters bend their wrist when quilting. This is really bad for your wrist and fingers. So check to see if you are doing that and try to change that habit if you are.
Your thumb, pointer and middle fingers are the strongest so try to use only them. I started quilting with my thumb since its the strongest. It's a little different since you basically quilt away from you instead of towards.
Doing these things have really helped me. I also applied these habits to when I am sitting at the computer.
I have a small exercise ball that I bought from Walmart. It helps to strengthen the muscles in your hand to help them from being damaged. But since you already have Carpal Tunnel you might want to ask the Doctor about doing that first. I hope it gets better.