i think i have carpal tunnel

[babybear9120]

i think i have carpal tunnel in my wrist, i get a shooting pain down my wrist and sometimes cant move my hand. i just moved to st. marys county, md and dont know if there is someplace i can go to get it checked out. i have very little money and no insurance. is there any place in the county that i can go to? i know charles county has something but there is a months waiting list and it cant wait a month. thank you for the help.

 

[signora]

i think i have carpal tunnel in my wrist, i get a shooting pain down my wrist and sometimes cant move my hand. i just moved to st. marys county, md and dont know if there is someplace i can go to get it checked out. i have very little money and no insurance. is there any place in the county that i can go to? i know charles county has something but there is a months waiting list and it cant wait a month. thank you for the help.

I have carpal tunnel in both my hands had it for many years. If could be CT, but usually doesn't effect you where you can't move your hand. It's usually a severe pain and tightness in your wrist area where they ache a lot and get numbness in certain fingers.

If you do go to the doctors not sure how the doctors are in this area, but problems I had in the past w/the insurance is they won't pay it because they consider it workman's comp. I was on disability/workman's comp years ago w/it so right away the insurance company rejects the claim if I go to the doctors complaining about hand pain. If you go to the doctors they will sometimes just have you wear splints, but to get tested for Carpal Tunnel you usually have to go thru (2) types of nerve testing, which is not fun and expensive.

 

[jetmonkey]

i think i have carpal tunnel in my wrist, i get a shooting pain down my wrist and sometimes cant move my hand. i just moved to st. marys county, md and dont know if there is someplace i can go to get it checked out. i have very little money and no insurance. is there any place in the county that i can go to? i know charles county has something but there is a months waiting list and it cant wait a month. thank you for the help.

Is it work related or the result of chronic masturbation?

 

[godsbutterfly]

There is also a nerve that runs from the elbow all of the way down thru the fingers. Carpal Tunnel affects primarily the thumb and index finger and this other nerve affects the other three fingers. The same 2 nerve tests that signora mentioned will determine if you have one or both things wrong with your hands. I have both. She's also right that they are very expensive. I know an excellent Neurologist but I don't know how you would get help with pay. Contact Social Services and see what they can tell you. Good luck to you.

 

[signora]

There is also a nerve that runs from the elbow all of the way down thru the fingers. Carpal Tunnel affects primarily the thumb and index finger and this other nerve affects the other three fingers. The same 2 nerve tests that signora mentioned will determine if you have one or both things wrong with your hands. I have both. She's also right that they are very expensive. I know an excellent Neurologist but I don't know how you would get help with pay. Contact Social Services and see what they can tell you. Good luck to you.

I have both also where due to weakness in the hand due to the CT caused epicondylitis in my elbows where I use have to wear splints basically from the upper arm down to the fingers.

You see a Neurologist for it? I use to go an Orthopedic Surgeon and had to go regularly to Hand Therapy where I was advised numerous times by the Dr's and Hand Therapist to completely stop typing and to have surgery on both hands and elbows, but was told it would be a 50/50 chance it would work especially if I went back to typing (I was a word processor at the time). Told them find me a job that doesn't involve typing on a computer or doing a job that doesn't require repetative hand movement. So chose not to get the surgery, but sooner or later will have to.

 

[RoseRed]

Is it work related or the result of chronic masturbation?

Didn't JPC have a problem with his hands?

 

[godsbutterfly]

I have both also where due to weakness in the hand due to the CT caused epicondylitis in my elbows where I use have to wear splints basically from the upper arm down to the fingers.

You see a Neurologist for it? I use to go an Orthopedic Surgeon and had to go regularly to Hand Therapy where I was advised numerous times by the Dr's and Hand Therapist to completely stop typing and to have surgery on both hands and elbows, but was told it would be a 50/50 chance it would work especially if I went back to typing (I was a word processor at the time). Told them find me a job that doesn't involve typing on a computer or doing a job that doesn't require repetative hand movement. So chose not to get the surgery, but sooner or later will have to.

Yes, I see one in Charlotte Hall. They happened to find that while they were testing some of the other things I have wrong (I'm in great shape for the shape I'm in!). I actually prefer typing to trying to write, but I know what you mean about jobs. I have awards I won for speed and accuracy when I was with Alltel and I'm nowhere near that now! Well, I'm still pretty accurate because I'm anal about that but the typing speed is down quite a bit. I also have Arthritis in my Spine/Neck/Hands and permanent Sciatica in the Back/Left Leg.

 

[godsbutterfly]

Didn't JPC have a problem with his hands?

Yeah, but I forgot what it was called.

 

[signora]

Yes, I see one in Charlotte Hall. They happened to find that while they were testing some of the other things I have wrong (I'm in great shape for the shape I'm in!). I actually prefer typing to trying to write, but I know what you mean about jobs. I have awards I won for speed and accuracy when I was with Alltel and I'm nowhere near that now! Well, I'm still pretty accurate because I'm anal about that but the typing speed is down quite a bit. I also have Arthritis in my Spine/Neck/Hands and permanent Sciatica in the Back/Left Leg.

That's good that you see one and I know I need to get something done w/mine because I do less typing now then in the past, but it's getting worst w/the numbness, etc. But I aways find this time of the year it always acts up where it causes severe pain (but still doesn't stop me from typing ) You sound like you have about the same type of problems as me. I have degenated disc in the shoulder blade area, and always have pain in the rotor cuff area where I have been told it may be being caused by the carpel tunnel and have problems w/my right hip/leg.

I've been tested for Arthritis and suppose to go for further testing, but always put it off. I'm not a good patient, I'm suppose to take Celebrex, but use to be on meds all the time in the past and refuse to keep taking them so my Dr gets annoyed w/me because I won't have surgery or take pills - so you learn to deal w/the pain. I do find working out help, but find certain exercises/weights really aggrevate things.

 

[kom526]

i think i have carpal tunnel in my wrist, i get a shooting pain down my wrist and sometimes cant move my hand. i just moved to st. marys county, md and dont know if there is someplace i can go to get it checked out. i have very little money and no insurance. is there any place in the county that i can go to? i know charles county has something but there is a months waiting list and it cant wait a month. thank you for the help.

Hooray for socialized medicine.oops I mean "universal healthcare".

Didn't JPC have a problem with his hands?

Yeah it's called lazyitis.

 

[babybear9120]

what i have is a sharp pain in my wrist like a electric shock and it goes down to the tips of my thumb thru middle finger. even after exercises, it doesnt help. ive got a brace on almost all the time but mainly at night. i wish there was something i could do about it cause it is driving me nuts.

 

[godsbutterfly]

That's good that you see one and I know I need to get something done w/mine because I do less typing now then in the past, but it's getting worst w/the numbness, etc. But I aways find this time of the year it always acts up where it causes severe pain (but still doesn't stop me from typing ) You sound like you have about the same type of problems as me. I have degenated disc in the shoulder blade area, and always have pain in the rotor cuff area where I have been told it may be being caused by the carpel tunnel and have problems w/my right hip/leg.

I've been tested for Arthritis and suppose to go for further testing, but always put it off. I'm not a good patient, I'm suppose to take Celebrex, but use to be on meds all the time in the past and refuse to keep taking them so my Dr gets annoyed w/me because I won't have surgery or take pills - so you learn to deal w/the pain. I do find working out help, but find certain exercises/weights really aggrevate things.

Your right leg and my left - we could lean against each other like teepees and walk just fine! I guess that depends on how tall you are. I'm 5'2". Seriously - I have 13 meds they want me to take every day, Celebrex included, and I'm tired of it too. Physical therapy really is good for people like us. I was sent to Nova Care and they were incredible. I learned all kinds of new stretching exercises and things that I could actually do. They taught me the importance of posture. I never realized that standing and sitting correctly had so much to do with taking pressure off of your bones and easing so much of the pain. Where do you live? I'm in Lex Park.

 

[mingiz]

QUOTE=godsbutterfly;2891431]There is also a nerve that runs from the elbow all of the way down thru the fingers. Carpal Tunnel affects primarily the thumb and index finger and this other nerve affects the other three fingers. The same 2 nerve tests that signora mentioned will determine if you have one or both things wrong with your hands. I have both. She's also right that they are very expensive. I know an excellent Neurologist but I don't know how you would get help with pay. Contact Social Services and see what they can tell you. Good luck to you.[/QUOTE]


You could also go to the drug store and get a brace to wear that will limit the use of your wrist and after a few days give it some relief. I have it bad in my right wrist and that's basically what the Dr. told me to do. I wear it during the day if I really need it but I wear it mostly at night and it does help. Better thatn shots or surgery...

 

[sk8enscars]

Try Expresscare in Charlotte Hall. Whether you have insurance or not, carpal tunnel is not something to play around with and just wait for it to heal. It can really affect your life if you don't get it looked at. While you're at it, go to Rite aid and pick up a wrist brace. I'm a music teacher and in college a lot of violinists (who were prone to carpal tunnel) used those to prevent it or help with the pain.

 

[babybear9120]

i have a brace that i wear and its helping some but im getting fed up with the electric shocks, after a few phone calls today todss, i may have found something. thanx for the help and ill let u know whats happening.

 

[lugebob]

This advice has helped many of my friends to the point of total healing of carpal tunnel issues, even ones scheduled for surgery, including myself.

The pain and numbness is caused by pressure on the nerves from inflammed and swelled tissue bundled around the nerves. the inflamation can be caused by many things to include sleeping with your hand under your head at night. try this

1. adjust brace to make forearm and hand come to a neutral open rest position. The adjustment is correct when your hand is cupped as if it were cupping a tennis size ball with your forearm laying flat on the table and fingers touching the table (or bed) This basically opens up the pipes so to speak with no bends. Bend/ shape the metal in the palm and wrist area of the brace for this.

2. Wear the brace ALL Night for a week. Make sure you are not sleeping on your wrist or hand. Force yourself to sleep with arm flat to the bed. This will give you the maximum amount of rest and healing time in the neutral postions for the swelling to go down and healing process to start.

3. Take an analgesic (real aspirin) or other anti inflammatory meds before bed

4. Take the brace off during the day and wiggle and exercise your fingers to promote good blood flow (dont bend or stretch wrist much...baby it)

5. if using a computer mouse or keyboard you can periodically rest your wrist on one of those cold gel packs.. anything to reduce swelling and leave wrist in neutral position. but DO NOT wear wrist brace all day.. rest at night, blood flow by day.

6. If you notice an increased level of pain for a period of time this method is actually working. Numbness or sharp pains going to steady pain (not the other way around) is good. It means the nerves (wires) are no longer as pinched off as they were before and are getting signals once again. Eventually the pain should subside with blood flow and healing.

if that dont work........... you must go see the doc.

 

[signora]

Your right leg and my left - we could lean against each other like teepees and walk just fine! I guess that depends on how tall you are. I'm 5'2". Seriously - I have 13 meds they want me to take every day, Celebrex included, and I'm tired of it too. Physical therapy really is good for people like us. I was sent to Nova Care and they were incredible. I learned all kinds of new stretching exercises and things that I could actually do. They taught me the importance of posture. I never realized that standing and sitting correctly had so much to do with taking pressure off of your bones and easing so much of the pain. Where do you live? I'm in Lex Park.

I'm about 5'9" so don't think so 13 meds is just too many pills to be taking a day and w/Celebrex I just think there are risk to taking too much of it. I never liked taking it nor found a difference so stopped taking it. I too was sent to Nova Care for my leg, but found it to be a waste of time and felt they were getting paid for doing nothing. They wanted me to go 3 times a week, but they basically gave me a paper w/exercises and said here go do these, which took about 15. So stopped going. I do find deep tissue massage helps so I do go for them when I can.

I moved last year from Philly and currently live in Lex Park.

 

[godsbutterfly]

I'm about 5'9" so don't think so 13 meds is just too many pills to be taking a day and w/Celebrex I just think there are risk to taking too much of it. I never liked taking it nor found a difference so stopped taking it. I too was sent to Nova Care for my leg, but found it to be a waste of time and felt they were getting paid for doing nothing. They wanted me to go 3 times a week, but they basically gave me a paper w/exercises and said here go do these, which took about 15. So stopped going. I do find deep tissue massage helps so I do go for them when I can.

I moved last year from Philly and currently live in Lex Park.

I've been told deep tissue massages are wonderful help but I don't know who to go to because I do have Fibromyalgia and it would have to be someone with knowledge of that or I will be hurt more than I will be helped! I'm surprised to hear Nova Care was no help for you. My therapy worker never left me for more than 5 minutes at a time and I had an hour work out. They charted me every time I came in to see how I was progressing and adjusted my physical therapy accordingly. I started out in the water and then went to "land" after a few sessions.

 

[daisycreek]

I have it also and went thru a course of physical therapy... the therapist said when my wrist is hurting do this

put your arm straight out in front of you... palm out

bend your 4 fingers backwards with your other hand as far as you can and hold like that

this makes the tendon stop pressing on the nerve

repeat often during the day

 

[signora]

I've been told deep tissue massages are wonderful help but I don't know who to go to because I do have Fibromyalgia and it would have to be someone with knowledge of that or I will be hurt more than I will be helped! I'm surprised to hear Nova Care was no help for you. My therapy worker never left me for more than 5 minutes at a time and I had an hour work out. They charted me every time I came in to see how I was progressing and adjusted my physical therapy accordingly. I started out in the water and then went to "land" after a few sessions.

Deep tissue massages are really good, but can hurt depending how hard they do it. There are times in my shoulder area I get the pins/needle pain, but once they loosen up the muscle it feels great. I go to a Massage Therapist in PA because they are licensed, etc. and know how to work w/different people's medical conditions. So you would have to check around or check to see if any are listed under your insurance because some insurance companies will pay for it since it is considered Alternative Medicine.

That's good that Nova treated you good. I been doing aqua aerobics and find that helps some and sometimes a nice break from cardio, etc.