I got CTS in 93. I had the expensive test. I put splints on for a month, reduced my typing load, and took the ibuprofin they told me to. The muscle-to-tendon connective tissue going through a narrow tunnel in your wrist has gotten inflamed and thus, too big for the tunnel. Causes numbness and tingling and pain. That's why you need the anti-inflammatory, even if you don't want to use the pain meds, use the anti-inflammatory, to get that tissue back to its normal size. I never had any exercises. Excessive hand motion "exercise," as I understand it is partly to blame for the CTS itself. Rest was the thing at that point, not making it move more. I had aching pain all the time and loss of touch sensitivity on one or the other sides of individual fingers and my thumbs. I did not get the surgery, but that's your choice. Very rarely (now, 15 yrs later) I do get out my splint and wear it at night for awhile. But I can't use a hammer for more than 15-20 minutes, like in construction. And I did not regain all my strength, but over time, I got most of it back. My wrist is now an indicator of stress. When it's aching, I know I'm doing too much somehow.

I agree with ginger in terms of getting an assessment, although you should know going into this that you may need to be persistent. I recently read a study that stated most physicians reach a diagnosis within 11 minutes of seeing you - if, of course, they give you 11 minutes. Therefore, your primary care physician may not nail your problem in the first visit. Or the second. There are a number of things that could be going on, including microtrauma to the wrist, epicondylitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, etc. I would work with your primary care doctor and request a consult with a physical therapist (PT) to do an ergonomic evaluation of your work situation. A PT can also do therapy and give you home exercises if required. A chiropractor is not going to be very useful unless there is cervical involvement - extremities are not their forte. Also, despite what their PR states, most chiropractors are quite reductionist - if you want holistic, see a naturopathic physician or a Chinese medicine practitioner that does both herbs and acupuncture. Finally, don't waste your time taking B6 or MSM. I love how people toss supplements around like they are some kind of magic candy. They are not. I imagine this is like how you would feel if someone told your clients to simply "toss in some annuals" or "fill that space with arbor vitae." If you're feeling a bit stressed, fine, take B6. But if you have an actual medical condition, you need a medical protocol designed by a medical professional trained in natural therapies. To use B6 as an example, this means assessing how much B6 you are already getting (for example, in your diet or multivitamin), if you have an intolerance for B vitamins, if B6 is more effective than other natural therapies, if B6 might work better in a specific form or with another supplement, if B6 is contraindicated because of some other medication you are taking, and so on. If you do need B6, it should be taken at a specific dose for a specific period of time. Same with MSM or glucosamine or SAM-e or chondroitin - MSM in particular is tricky stuff that often requires large doses to get the desired effect. Then there is the issue of where you get the B6 or MSM or other supplements. If you are buying the garbage they sell at WalMart, then you will most likely not get the response you are looking for - not unlike what would happen if your clients were to buy their plants there. To use a metaphor I am sure you can appreciate, first you need to get to the root of the problem. Then, hopefully, something actually useful can be done about it. Good luck.

Hi flyleft, I am just catching up with this now. My incision was about an inch, maybe a bit more. I had the stitches out last week (16 days after surgery). It was a relief to be rid of them. Also, having my hand bandaged all that time was very bothersome. I unwrapped the ace bandage to let my hand kind of cool off. I was constantly sticking my fingers under the bandages to let my hand breathe and to give it a mini-massage. I fished out a revolting piece of gauze that was bothering me (sorry, hope that's not tmi).I was so glad when he cut off the bandages. After that, he covered the incision with tape, and said it was okay to get it wet. Of course, after three days of showering, it came off. After that, I covered it with big bandaids. Now I don't cover it at all. I was also told not to put any pressure on the incision. It was all scabby, but that is gone now, too. It's been healing well, but I am impatient to have a normal functioning hand again. The incision still hurts and certain movements are painful. The only way to tell what that might be is when I feel that zing of pain. Nothing unbearable at all. It seems to mainly involve anything that requires the use of muscles in my palm. Yesterday I got out in the garden and kind of overdid it, so today my hand feels stiff and sore. Most of the painful tingling is gone from my thumb and pointer, but the middle finger still tingles. I no longer have the painful numbness or freezing cold sensation. No, I didn't have the pain you describe going up to my elbow. I did have horrible pain, tingling and numbness in my arm, but wearing the brace at night helped that even before the surgery. The worst pain was in my hand and wrist. It's been 3.5 weeks from my surgery, so I would allow 4 - 5 weeks to feel close to recovery. I am doing pretty well now as long as I don't overdo it. I was led to believe that this procedure was "nothing" -- a small inconvenience and it is more than that, but certainly not major surgery or recovery. Here's a picture of my hand that I just took. I hope no one is offended by looking at my incision, but I don't think it looks too gross. I apologize to anyone who might think this is inappropriate. Hope this gives you an idea of what to expect. There is dry skin on either side of the cut. If you look closely, you can see that my palm is still bruised-looking. Please ask me any questions at all. I was very glad for the info I got here. Maybe I will live longer since the scar is on the life line of my palm, which makes the line longer!!

Time for an update: I've seen a new surgeon, and he's sending me to have nerve conduction tests next week. Based on those tests, he's going to come up with a course of treatment, which could include surgery or cortisone shots. The wrist problems have stayed about the same -- but lately, I've gotten tendonitis throughout my entire right arm, likely because I'm holding/using it strangely to compensate for the pain in my wrist. When I see the surgeon again late next week, I'm going to talk to him about it -- but does anyone have any suggestions about what to do in the meantime? Do I ice it, or heat it?