Right hand screwy

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 01:39 PM

My right hand is kind of screwy. Too much typing/scoll-wheeling maybe. Very painful, and two fingers are totally numb. Anybody else ever get this? If so, how long did it last?

Brian · 10-21-2003, 01:43 PM

I've known people who have had it, and they needed surgery along with a cast on their hand for a while.

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 01:44 PM

I had something similiar. Numb fingers and sharp pains in my right wrist when I moved it for anything. The doctor diagnosed carpal tunnel, and gave me some kind of shot that burned. The shot made things worse for two weeks. It wasn't until another doctor prescribe anti-arthritis medication that the pain finally started to go away. After six months of working with the wrist, it was almost as good as new. Now I get the occassional twinge, and immediately put a brace on to prevent inflamation.

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 01:44 PM

My doctor told me that the surgery usually had to be repeated within a year or two, so many surgeons no longer recommend the surgery. Apparantly it's treated similiarly to arthritis now.

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 01:45 PM

I can't use it at all, so I'm using my left hand. Really unproductive. I hope it gets better quick. I can't wait months...

Jazzee · 10-21-2003, 01:48 PM

Similar stuff happened to me. They thought it was carpal tunnel, but it wasn't. Mine is arthritis.

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 01:49 PM

You take medicine?

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 01:49 PM

Is it just your hand, or does it extend to your wrist as well? Is any part of your had swollen?

Try soaking the hand in hot water with epsom salts. It might give temporary respite from the pain.

Jazzee · 10-21-2003, 01:49 PM

I'm supposed to.

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 01:49 PM

You still get pain?

Brian · 10-21-2003, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzee

I'm supposed to.

I'd take that as a ... no.

Jazzee · 10-21-2003, 01:51 PM

No, I don't take my meds. It still hurts, but I deal with it.

Bubo - They gave me that freakin shot, too. Made it like 10 times worse.

Edit: Corrected spelling.

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 01:56 PM

Yeah, that shot is suppose to be an anti-inflammatory designed to decrease the muscle swelling causing it. *grumble* It actually made my wrist go from looking normal to a swollen, puffy look for several hours. The pain itself didn't go away until they put me on arthritis medication designed to reduce inflammation. Celebrix, I think it was called. I was lucky and the doctor literally gave me a 100 pill supply composed of sample boxes. Told me that the company that makes it delivers entirely too much to his office, so he has to get rid of them.

To be honest, the pills really didn't do much once the pain of the shot went away. It was the brace keeping my wrist immobile (an annoying inconvenience) that caused the pain to go away, and then months of slowly working with the wrist.

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubo

Is it just your hand, or does it extend to your wrist as well? Is any part of your had swollen?

Try soaking the hand in hot water with epsom salts. It might give temporary respite from the pain.

It goes from index finger midway up the fore-arm. Pinky finger and its brother are numb.

I might try that epsom salt thing.

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 02:00 PM

Yeah, that sounds like carpal tunnel.

FYI in case you don't know, carpal tunnel is caused by a band of muscles that encircles your wrist. When those muscles are inflamed, they swell. The swelling pinches the nerves that service your hand, and in some cases can cause pain even up the arm.

The surgery (as I understand it, although I'm not a doctor) literally cuts part of the muscle out to give room for the swelling. It treats the symptoms, not the cause. When your muscle regrows back, if you haven't properly excercised your wrist to allow it to move without inflaming the muscle, then you are right back where you started from.

The epsom salt soak should cause the swelling to go down a little bit. This could just be an odd, isolated thing. However, if it still bothers you after you sleep tonight, I'd schedule an appointment with your doctor to look at it.

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 02:02 PM

It's been getting worse these last few days. I think I'll just try the epsom thing for now...

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 02:04 PM

Almost forgot, check into getting a wrist brace from Wal-Mart or your local pharmacist. Cost me about $12 for mine. It's a pressure wrap that has a plastic splint that goes along the underside of your wrist and cups in the palm of your hand.

The brace will provide pressure on your wrist, alleviating some of the inflammation symptoms the same way that a pressure bandage helps a sprained ankle. The splint can be taken out , or left in. It's suppose to prevent you from moving your wrist, and allow your muscle to relax and heal. Honestly, all it really did was remind me that I didn't want to move my wrist if I could avoid it. I could still move it if I really had to.

**John Scott** · 10-21-2003, 02:05 PM

Thanks, Bubo.

Bubo · 10-21-2003, 02:07 PM

Your welcome. I remember when I was first struck with CPT. It was a pain in the pie. *grrrrr* Fortunately, I was already paranoid about CPT so I had it checked out at the first twinge. Despite that quack with the shot, it's still in extremely minor stages (although it doesn't feel minor when it flares up) and controllable without constant medication or surgery. I just have to pay attention when my wrist hurts, and keep that brace handy.

Which reminds me, I need to get a new one. I still have my original one, and it's pretty worn out and funky.

Pimpen 2010 · 10-21-2003, 02:15 PM

Yah, I heard those wrist bracelets work really well!