Posted by gardenergirl on March 31, 2005, at 0:12:13 [reposted on March 31, 2005, at 9:27:17 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Does anyone know anything about carpal tunnel?, posted by Dinah on March 30, 2005, at 19:19:19
Dinah,
You might try this: press the backs of your hands together, kind of like a reverse prayer position with your elbows sticking out to the sides, and hold that for up to 60 seconds. If you get tingling, numbness, or pain (stop). That is another indicator. Time this, and note what time the symptoms occur. The faster they occur, the more likely you are to have carpal tunnel, and the more severe. I've done this with really severe folks who can barely stand to even touch the backs of their hands together.
Another test is to take a pencil with a good full eraser end, and tap the eraser on the wrist area near the center of the inside of your wrist. Tap firmly and quickly. dot dot dot dot dot. More like a poke, but not so it hurts. You want to do this in the area about a half inch to an inch diameter in the center from the wrist crease on the inside. (Can you picture that?)
Anyway, if you get numbness or tingling, it's likely you might have carpal tunnel. That is the area that the median nerve, implicated in carpal tunnel and the finger tendons all pass through the narrow opening called, guess what, the carpal tunnel.
This area is small, and often more so in women. The brace helps because it keeps your wrist in a position that keeps the opening as wide as possible. When I used to work with folks with this, I would give them the standard wrist brace, but I would step on it first, to put it in a more neutral position, versus the wrist slightly cocked back position. There is more room in the carpal tunnel, actually, with your wrist in neutral, or straight, then with it bent slightly back. You're right, it is a bit hard to type and work with, and it's even harder in neutral. But it's better for the median nerve.
Also, I forget which B vitamin is good for nerve growth, either B6 or B12, but often the ortho docs would put patients on this as well. I think it would help reduce the inflammation. Perhaps Lar would know. (actually, there's probably no "perhaps" about it, I'm sure he knows.)
And ibuprofen or other anti inflammatory meds can help, although with all the hoopla that came out since Vioxx and heart attacks or strokes, you want to be cautious.
Good luck.
gg
poster:gardenergirl
thread:477695
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20050306/msgs/478080.html