CR,I'm having the same problem with my left arm.I have never been diagnosed with carpal tunnel and don't know if that would cause the kind of pain you are having.DD had a bout with tendonitis and the symptoms were what I am having now and what you describe.Maybe that is your problem.Probably should see a doctor.All they did for her was prescribed tylenol.

Had surgery Mar 07... best thing I ever did. I had the cortisone shot also, and it was good for a while, but got so bad that I couldn't even sleep at night.

Had surgery in the doctor's office (a 30 minute procedure). Only hindrance is that in some cases (including mine) it took a little time to regain full movement. But that was just a couple of months.

p.s. The cortisone shot hurt more than the small surgery!

I know everyone thinks chiropractors are quacks, but mine has been VERY helpful in dealing with my (repeatedly) severely sprained ankle as well as other problems. I tend to focus stress in my neck and shoulders; after an adjustment I feel like a different person!

Your problem could be totally the carpal tunnel, but it could also be something else, including a pinched nerve. For something that COULD be dealt with by a series of adjustments vs. a surgery, I would choose the adjustments as long as they worked and were less invasive.

If you think you might consider going to a chiropractor, ask people you know for recommendations. Does the dr. make them feel comfortable? Is s/he gentle? Does the staff pressure people to come back without a real, concrete reason? Do they prescribe specific exercises to help with recovery? Do they do a thorough initial exam and explain the injury and the treatment clearly? Those are some things to look for. In addition, you might look for a link to sports medicine, massage therapy, or other forms of physical therapy. That doesn't necessarily ensure the doc isn't a quack, but a dr. with a more holistic focus is more likely to be serious.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw that out as an option. My chiro has helped me SO much. Sometimes I think the massage tables they have do as much good as the adjustment!

Whatever the problem is, I hope you figure it out and get it resolved quickly!

Julie

Oh boy I really sympathise with you CR altho my shoulder problem is caused by torn tendons. The Dr wanted to give me a cortisone shot but I've heard a few horror stories about getting them in the shoulder so I'm just 'toughing' it out LOL! It'll be a year in Jan since I originally hurt it too so it's definately taking a long time to come right!
Hope you get some relief soon cos I know how annoying it is when everything you try to do is affected. I find even the simplest things like brushing/washing my hair is really painful!

I recently had a pinched nerve in the back of my shoulder which caused numbness in my arm and fingertips. With a change in my office chair and weekly back massages, the problem has gone away (unless I tense up again for days...which almost happened during the holidays!)

Good luck with this; hope you find some relief.

CR I had a lot of shoulder/arm pain before my carpal tunnel surgery, hadn't realized how bad it was till afterward when it was gone. My "tunnel" surgeries were done 35 and 37 years ago, when the cut was from mid-palm, to over the wrist, I had lots scar tissue which had to be "scraped off the nerves and wrist bones" to quote my doctor, just thinking about that still gives me the chills. That's what happens after 7 years of twirling and 5 years of cleaning teeth.

Take a deep breath and have the surgery, it's a less invasive now a days and its so nice to be pain free.

Sue

Carpal tunnel affected my fingertips to my shoulder. I would wake up several times a night with my entire arms "on fire". I finally broke down and went to the doctor...of course, I went without much sleep for over a year before going. It was the best thing I ever did. Instant...and I do mean instant relief. I had both wrists done in a months time. I was back to work the next day with them and I am on the computer all day long. I had physical therapy after and I do have some weakness in my hands, but I would rather have that than the pain.

If it is carpal tunnel, don't hesitate. The surgery is very non-invasive. I had one incision about a 1/2 inch long in the palm of each hand. My scars actually look like a crease in my hand, that is normally there.

Good luck...and hope you feel better.

Vicki, who would rather have surgery than a cortisone shot anyday. :)

Thanks everyone! I jus wondered if it could be my CP flaring up again.It's totally different than before,it was all in my hands and wrists before.
I do believe in Chiropractors....mine in PA got me walking again when my back went out,He didn't "cure" me,I need an operation,but he made it so I don't fall down all the time!

Don't know what your problem is but has anyone ruled out Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?

Here is a link that might be useful: Thoracic Outlet Syndome

CF - My symptoms were much like what you described. For 20 years I put up with carpal tunnel - not that painful, just annoying, especially since it woke me up 5 or 6 times every night. I'd have to drop my hand over the side of the bed until the tingling stopped. I had difficulty using the curling iron or typing or writing for a prolonged time - my fingers would go numb.
I went to the neurologist and had the carpal tunnel test done and found out that it was a fairly mild case, not severe enough for surgery which unfortunately does not always produce the desired results or results in unwanted weakness to the hand.

So I put up with the CP for a few more years and then I hurt my lower back and had to see a neurosurgeon. After reviewing my Xrays and MRI of both upper and lower back he diagnosed my sciatica problem and gave me a series of cortisone injections directly into that joint. That eliminated the debilitating pain that I had experienced.

I also told him about the 20 years of carpal tunnel problems. He did a neurological exam, focusing on my arm and neck. He also did a quick test which required me to hold a couple of fingers together and then bend my wrist at a specific angle. This would cause the tingling associated with carpal tunnel. Well nothing happened.

He then told me that most of that tingling was caused by a neck problem - I had a few bulging discs that were pressing on the nerve. He gave me the same cortisone shots in the neck, injected directly into the joint and my carpal tunnel diminished so much that it seldom occurs. What a relief.

The cortisone injection is given with an extremely fine needle. First he gave me a lidocaine injection which only hurts for about 10 seconds and then it numbs the area. Then he gave the cortisone. This was done once a week for 3 weeks. I was able to drive home immediately after the shot. It was wonderful.

It's been 4 years and lately the tingling has started to occur with greater frequency occompanied by a more painful tingling in my lower neck and across the shoulder. I think I probably need to have the shots again.

For those patients who are afraid of the injections or who cannot tolerate the 10 or so seconds of discomfort that the lidocane causes the neurologist schedules an anesthetist once a week who comes to the office and gives a short acting anesthesia.

Some of the other suggestions mentioned above also be the cause of the problem. When I finally make my appt with the neurologist I'll specifically ask him about the Thoracic Outlet syndrome too.

Good luck.