The surgery will probably have a few negatives as well. Ask about expected results and capabilities. You may end up “hamstrung.” I don’t understand why they don’t build a bridge to prevent that, but, at least when I looked at it, they didn’t. (Hamstrung is when your tendons pop out through the opening hey leave where they split open your wrist to give you more room.)
I have had fantastic luck with 200mg doses of Celebrex. It goes out through the liver, which is more robust than the kidneys where most NISADS are broken down. I have been on it daily since the early 90’s. (Other than sudden onset conservatism, there are no side effects.)
You can never be uncut. Most do well with the surgery but a few come out worse. It the splint works, then surgery is optional.
Surgery is the only thing that will stop the pain, and without it, it will only get worse.
Don’t get both hands done at once.
Even after the surgery, you may still find that you flex your wrist and elbows at night, which can also lead to cubital tunnel syndrome (pinky and ring finger pain at night). This is not as bad as carpal though, and a splint to keep your arm straight at night will fix that.
A close friend had it so bad in both hands, he seldom slept and was white as a sheet, but could swim like a fish three times a week; and did.
He wanted to put it off until retirement to maximize earnings.
Saw an article in the paper about carpal tunnel and acupuncture.
He said I’ve nothing to lose, was told it takes a few sessions for any effects and only lasts a year or two, not a permanent solution.
We had breakfast the morning after his third treatment, I could see on his face it was working, he had some skin tone! He was happy and said he was getting some sleep.
They insert tiny needles and attach wires to a ‘machine’.
After a few months, he would increase the ‘voltage’ after the technician left the room.
Helped him for almost two years into retirement and had one hand repaired. He said it was an improvement but not 100%.
Wife had one of her hands done years ago and never had another problem. She’s been having issues with the other one as of late. Hand splint helps but she knows she’ll need to have it released at some point. Find a good surgeon and get it done. No point in suffering out of fear.
You’re deficient in magnesium. Don’t have the surgery, it won’t solve the problem
Ok so this is going to sound a bit crazy but here is what worked for me. I had this in my right wrist/hand to the point the doctors were considering surgery. It was awful and the symptoms were similar to what you posted (short of the swimming).
One day I was gifted a double walled fire resistant cabinet the was covered in years of various colors of paint. I was converting this to hold my ammo and powder for the reloading station.
I bought an orbital sander and started sanding off the paint. It took several weeks. I sanded all of that stupid cabinet down to bare metal. Predominately using my right hand. After I was done my pain had disappeared. No, I am not kidding. The vibration and pressure, I believe, got rid of the pain and now several years later it has not returned.
I told you it was crazy. :)
Try carrying a soft ball around. Sometimes I use one that is a little larger than a grapefruit and other times a 9-10 inch ball. Go cheap and find the equipment at the Dollar Store.
Whatever size that you can hold in one hand at a time.
Avoid texting and the odd grip that is required to hold a smart phone.
I had it done years ago and it was the best decision I ever made.
I woke up in pain many nights and nothing helped.
Finally took the plunge.
I followed the drs instructions diligently about not lifting anything heavy, etc, but used my fingers on that hand as much as possible to keep everything flexible.
I had a little numbness in my left hand for a few weeks after that hand was done but that went away.
I never needed PT afterwards and have not had any trouble sine there.
Now I do stretching exercises to keep it from returning.
They can be found on the internet.
I have felt your pain; do you have any other odd or unexplained symptoms? Thicker tongue? Swollen fingers? Bigger feet? More hair? Mood swings or headaches?
My hands kept going numb, I couldn’t do my daughter’s hair, all day long I kept shaking them out. Sleeping? I’d wake up a few times every night with hands on FIRE. Screaming, crying, pain. Sleeping sitting up was the only quasi-relief.
I had the electrode thing done and the determination was CT, but I rejected surgery and kept looking for an answer. Turned out I had a pituitary tumor and acromegaly, which was enlarging all my soft tissue and growing bone and causing the nerves in my hands to be squished and compacted , and that’s where the pain was coming from.
I had surgery on my brain, and the first thing I noticed was my hands weren’t numb or on fire. After 15 years of the medical run around I finally felt better :)
CT surgery is your call, but try to rule out any other underlying issues.
Good luck and God bless.
Let me begin by saying there’s no doctor/patient relationship here, and you’re free to email me. Here’s a few thoughts.
If you’re over 50, post menopausal or have had a hysterectomy, your BMI says you’re obese, you smoke and you’re hypertensive, your CTS might be related to that.
Untreated diabetes and hypothyroid could be causing the symptoms also, BUT THE CTS WOULD BE AFFECTING BOTH HANDS. Surgery might not help if you have 4 or more of the above.
If you have none of the above issues, but are over 50 and both hands are going numb when you do the Phalen’s test (look it up), or you get electrical shocks when you tap the middle of your wrist on the palm side, with the middle of finger of your opposite hand (Tinel’s Test), AND you have an abnormal EMG/NCV I’d say you have the CTS of aging, and surgery will virtually correct this in almost all cases and immediately.
A clearly abnormal EMG/NCV with the above symptoms and signs in ONE hand is also a good indication that you need surgery.
I’m assuming that you’ve tried wearing a cock up splint to bed at night. Vitamin B6 300 mg taken daily for three months sometimes is helpful.
Surgery for CTS is almost routine these days. It’s usually done through a scope under local anesthesia. The surgeon is just cutting the retinaculum at the wrist on the palmer side.
On last comment. CTS affect the median nerve, so the pain and numbness is going to be in the thumb, index and at least half or all of the middle finger. It’s normal to have these symptoms when you’ve been talking on your cell phone for several minutes with you wrist hyperextended.
Ive had the surgery on both hands, 1 year apart. Before surgery my hands, fingers were numb, continuously, for 30 years! It became my new normal. I slept in splints to prevent pain at night and even wore the splints during day to try and diminish the pain.
My world famous hand surgeon (first hand transplant doc) said there was nothing he could do for me and that I would have to learn to manage the dead hands and pain... so I did for 30 yrs. Thank goodness some other genius doc developed the release technique and ta-daaaaaaa ......my hands work again.
So do it. It is a simple operation, almost painless and it is a darn miracle.
Oh, one last comment. A good doctor will look upstream for your complaints. If you do NOT have numbness to the thumb and index fingers, but let’s say to the pinky, this is NOT CTS and might be due to a pinched nerve in your neck. Cervival xrays will show this.
In some offices it is done with a local. Mayos being the primary example. I have had it twice on one and and once on the other. It is actually a nothing to be concerned about. It takes fifteen minutes and you have the stitches out in ten days.
Had both hands done 6 mos apart. Hands still tingled for months after both. They still do sometimes. But I can’t complain. I know about being kept awake because of it.
See a Naturapath about Arsenic...yes....arsenic...I know one person who was rid of it because she took a prescribed arsenic supplement.
If your gonna do both surgeries at once you will need someone lined up to handle wiping your backside and holding your willie while you tinkle. You will be OOC for at least a week.
I had open CT surgery on both hands at once about 2 years ago. Relief was immediate in my dominant right hand; however the left hand symptoms (three finger numbness) have persisted until present, albeit not as bad as pre-surgery. I would say anytime that surgery is performed, the risk of a non-successful outcome is always there. Had I to do it over again, I would have gone one hand at a time with the laparoscopic technique. Also, it is my understanding that a second corrective surgery almost never works if the first one was unsuccessful, So be careful in making your decision.
Have one hand done at a time. Which hand to choose first, Think which hand do you wipe your butt with. Simple answer, do you want to deal with not being able to wipe your butt with your preferred hand 1st (first) or 2nd (second.)
How did I feel right after the operation, Like I was somehow able to catch with one hand the swinging bat of a GREAT HOME RUN (as in baseball) BATTER. Hurt me like all get-out. I told Doctor, if I didn't get something EXTRA for the PAIN, I wasn't going to get it done. They gave me something, and was VERY THANK-FULL.
Ref: "Scalenotomy." Although with most surgeries there is some pain, I don't recall it being OVER WHELMING.
Had this all done in the early 1990's. If I still had to work every day for a living, I would need to have it done again.
How bad was I, if you were to lay down a row of Penney's just 10 (ten) in each row, and ask me just to flip them over using both hands at the same time, 3 (three) different test(s,) same results, I could only get to the 3rd {third} Penney. Plus they would test the ulnar nerve via electrical. Right there & then, after each test of the ulnar nerve, the doctor's would say NOT GOOD, proves your not B.S-ing with turning over the Penney's.
If your wondering, GEE'ZZ what did this guy do for a living? Autobody & Fender repair, and at the time was Painting Airplanes for an airplane manufacturer in the Pacific Northwest. Sounds like / similar to the word "GOING," but with a letter "B." In doing Autobody work maybe on average I would "SPRAY-PAINT" both primer, & paint. approx. One to two gallons per week. Spray-Painting airplanes, I was using approx 18 - 20 gallons per day. 747's & 767's aren't small.