Carpel Tunnel Exercises

Tips, tricks, workouts, injury advice.
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marcminish

 
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Carpel Tunnel Exercises

by marcminish » Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:40 am

I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel a couple of years ago. It has basically ended my climbing career, well, that and about 20 pounds. It is getting worse geometrically, but I don't want to go under the knife just yet.

I should have asked the doc when I was in his office, but are there any exercises that can help?

Thanks!

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Bill Kerr

 
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by Bill Kerr » Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:04 pm

Stretches - arm out and palm up - grab you fingers with opposite hand and bend wrist back - with elbow bent and with straight elbow. stretches wrist and forearm.

Lay on exercise ball with it between your shoulder blades - arms straight out. slowly move arms and hands downward to stretch hands, wrists, forearms, biceps and shoulders.
Do these several times per day for 1-2 min each and you may avoid the operations.

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garburator

 
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by garburator » Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:30 pm

Check out mattfurey.com and look for carpal tunnel exercises. I've only heard good things about it, but I don't know from personal experience-I don't have carpal tunnel, afaik.

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marcminish

 
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by marcminish » Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:17 am

Thanks, guys... I'll take all the help I can get.

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Day Hiker

 
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by Day Hiker » Wed Sep 09, 2009 7:31 pm

Unless it's really bad and you plan to get surgery, or you've already satisfied this year's insurance deductible, say no to the nerve-conduction test. I hadn't met my deductible yet, and I have to pay over $500 for this stupid test that tells me little more than I already know.

The cu** of a doctor billed to the insurance company a pre-adjusted amount of over $3500 for a non-invasive procedure that required no medication or anesthesia or assistants and took no more than 20 minutes. I understand that medical professionals need to recoup costs for education, equipment, etcetera. But $3500+ for one person for a 20-minute non-surgical procedure is just f-ing insane.

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marcminish

 
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by marcminish » Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:00 pm

Day Hiker wrote:Unless it's really bad and you plan to get surgery, or you've already satisfied this year's insurance deductible, say no to the nerve-conduction test. I hadn't met my deductible yet, and I have to pay over $500 for this stupid test that tells me little more than I already know.

The cu** of a doctor billed to the insurance company a pre-adjusted amount of over $3500 for a non-invasive procedure that required no medication or anesthesia or assistants and took no more than 20 minutes. I understand that medical professionals need to recoup costs for education, equipment, etcetera. But $3500+ for one person for a 20-minute non-surgical procedure is just f-ing insane.


The only test I had was the doctor tapping me on the arm/hand and asking questions. He's the same guy that has told me a couple of times words to the effect of, "Well, some docs will tell you that you need XYZ test... but it won't really do any good." Appreciate the tip though. I'll let you know if he suggests it.

He told me that I pretty much just have to live with it, maybe wear a brace. The only alternative is to have some kind of surgery where they drill a hole through my wrist bones. I'm rather knife averse as you might guess.

It has gotten to the point that even driving hurts. I have to type with care now too. Climbing is out for good. The pain never completely goes away ever. Doc said the surgery can eliminate the pain but I'll have to forever be sensitive about what I do. Is that what your doc said too?

Have you had the surgery?

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Day Hiker

 
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by Day Hiker » Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:16 pm

marcminish wrote:The only test I had was the doctor tapping me on the arm/hand and asking questions. He's the same guy that has told me a couple of times words to the effect of, "Well, some docs will tell you that you need XYZ test... but it won't really do any good." Appreciate the tip though. I'll let you know if he suggests it.

He told me that I pretty much just have to live with it, maybe wear a brace. The only alternative is to have some kind of surgery where they drill a hole through my wrist bones. I'm rather knife averse as you might guess.

It has gotten to the point that even driving hurts. I have to type with care now too. Climbing is out for good. The pain never completely goes away ever. Doc said the surgery can eliminate the pain but I'll have to forever be sensitive about what I do. Is that what your doc said too?

Have you had the surgery?


The symptoms aren't bad enough (yet) to warrant having surgery, even though the over-charging, electro-crazy doctor described the condition in one of my wrists as "extreme." There is no way I could afford the surgery now anyway, after being laid-off from my job this year. I am lucky enough to have insurance through my wife's job now -- and so is my son. We're really lucky we never tried to be one of those single-income families, because we would have nothing now.

So, I have insurance, but without the work, there is no way to afford my patient's portion of the surgery costs without missing a house payment.

My condition got to this point earlier in the year, when I did a bunch of heavy yard work after losing my job. I guess I should have sat on my ass indoors instead. That's the reward I get for trying to make productive use of my time.

The other (ortho) doctor said the condition is one that does not improve on its own. It can only get worse or stay the same, for the rest of one's life. So that was encouraging. Not.

But the symptoms have subsided in the last few months, since I stopped swinging a pick axe in the yard. So I can only assume that the doctor meant the underlying physiological condition never improves, even though the symptoms can subside, because I have had a definite relief in symptoms since earlier this year.

So, maybe there is hope for your situation, that the symptoms may lessen over time, especially if nothing happens to aggravate the condition.

I specifically asked the doctor what I should and shouldn't do, so that it doesn't get aggravated. He said it is bothered by the wrist being bent either forward or back, especially for prolonged periods. He said to just keep the wrist straight as much as possible, which I guess is mostly what the brace will do for you.

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Bill Kerr

 
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by Bill Kerr » Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:59 am

Stretches are the answer. Anti - inflamatory meds, cold packs and rest will bring down the irritation/pain and then stretch hands, wrists, forearms, biceps and shoulders.

Laymans explanation is that the unstretched cords are shorter and fatter and are rubbing on the sides of the carpal tunnel which irrates them further to swell and rub more. Also pinching the nerves since everything goes through the carpal tunnel. Stretching is not a quick easy cure - it takes perseverance and time but it works.

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Rock Hopper

 
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by Rock Hopper » Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:41 am

Bit of a thread revival,

I've had carpel tunnel for a few years. Fingers would go numb during work and I would drop tools cause couldn't feel them, used to wake up at night with pins and needles and numb fingers, tried all the physio stuff, finally started doing push-ups to strengthen shoulders and in a few weeks noticed CTS was gone. Just something that works for me.

Paul

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spiritualspatula

 
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by spiritualspatula » Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:51 am

I don't have carpal tunnel but use this product anyway.
It claims to help all sorts of things; I use it more for forearm and grip strength, though my occupation does put me at risk for carpal tunnel.
http://www.powerballs.com/


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