19 replies to this topic

[sciiaf]

so a couple yrs after sci accident, i am waking up with numb hands, tingling, and some pain too in my right hand. everyone dissed it saying 'big deal' (your sister has it) until dr. did some scans/ultrasound on my hands and turns out i have severe carpal tunnel, mostly in my right hand.

FYI did you know wheelchair users get carpal tunnel just from life in a wheelchair? our demanding use of hands to do everything, to move us, and to lift us around. it puts a lot of stressors on our hands.

so, now looks like i'll need to have hand surgery. out of commission for 10 days with no use of hands, nothing more could suck with csi then this, i finally am taking care of myself (bathing, bowels, etc) and now i have to basically lie in bed with caregivers on top of me...

just sucks, to see the way SCI just infiltrates your entire body. I can't lose my hands!!!

just an FYI to you all that if you're experiencing extreme numbing, and pain, get it checked out.

[mellowgator]

hi sciiaf,

i was diagnoised with carpal tunnel syndrome several years ago. i was able to avoid the surgery by wearing the hand brace. i also switched to a power assist wheel chair to make pushing easier. now i only wear the hand braces at night to keep my hands from curling. i also went to pt and learned some exercises to counteract the carpel tunnel.

good luck,

mellowgator

[Soryfam]

Hi. Sorry about the hand/wrist pain. I know it can be almost unbearable.
I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel many years ago, long before I ever had an SCI. I had surgery in my right hand one month, and my left the next. It didn't take 10 weeks to heal, but then we're all different, and the pressure you put on your wrists because of SCI has to be a factor.
The surgery was a piece of cake. I was awake, though a little goofy, for both surgeries. It was done on an outpatient basis, so I was in and out in the matter of about 5 hours. The pain relief was immediate. I am so glad that I had it done.
Best wishes for successful surgery. I know you'll be glad you had it when all is said and done.

Sandy

[davjed]

Long term wheelchair pushing is a lot of repetitive wrist flipping as you come forward. Seems like there have been some studies into this cause and suggestions for different types of arm and wrist movement while pushing. I saw this several years ago when I began to have that problem. Had the left one done but didn't go back for more.........google carpal tunnel in wheel chair users.....

[Smileyblue]

I was told I have carpal tunnel and tennis elbow (a while after leaving rehab), both from pushing a manual chair.. I won't have the surgery as my cousin had it and lost the use of his hands.. I can't risk that!

[pinkcloud]

Hi sciaf

Thanks for sharing this info that not enough people will be aware of

.I speak not as a qualified medic - rather the secretary who heard of all the bad cases done be other surgeons before coming to mine, by the patients themself..and a few friends whom had the same.Theres loads of successful cases out there, let your be one of them.However, remember dr can only give our body the chance to heal itself - the earlier you get to one, the less damage done.
Lots of times you may be referred for an MG test first,depending on the area you live,waiting lists may be long...

Whose doing ya hand? plastic 'fantastic' surgeon - or othopaedic 'most of us need it' surgeon ?

The reason I ask is...me old boss at hospital did amazing jobs, hes an orthopod, as did the plastics there.

Word of warning, if you can please do find out how many cases that were successful have they done? I know, cheeky to ask yet still, if they dont do a great job you will be ###### for life with it. Nerves cut can not grow back so well as they were originally designed for.

To them, all tempreture control can be lost, the fingertips on the skin can become so dry and sore, grip can be lost, you may have to have it re-done a few times, numbness/pins and needles,shooting pains may be ever lasting.

Thats the worst case scenerio.

One to be avoided so you all..first signs - go and get them de-compressed, there are options of injections too before and after surgery if dr feels this can help a little.

I guess you love ya mannual chair freedom...I dont have this ability due to rotator cuff tear and above injury trouble...so for me all 4 limbs are rather done for...not fuly paralyzed,more like ghosts of their former self, trust me, its difficult....

watch out for trigger finger too...

sciaf please do update me and us here, Me thoughts are with you...DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO USE THEM HANDS TOO EARLY, no matter how good you feel..them muscles,tissues,nerves got to heal, it takes more than a couple of weeks. A few weeks out of action means long lasting satisfaction.


]

[lune14]

I've been a T11/12 para for thirty years now, using a manual chair. For twenty of those years I worked at a data entry job, typing continually for 8-10 hours a day. Ten years ago I developed very severe carpal tunnel, all the classic symptoms but had to continue working through it. It was so bad I had to (electively) stop driving for a while as it became too dangerous to use my hand controls. Just as I was getting ready to plan bilateral surgery (both hands), I was referred to a chiropractor who specialized in traction thereapy for carpal tunnel. He strongly encouraged me to give his treatment a try before persuing surgery, recalling all the horrible negative outcomes he had seen from the surgery. It took several weeks of him adjusting my hands, performing traction and working on my neck a bit and the carpal tunnel completely disapeared. I am so grateful to him and the results I've had. My carpal tunnel was so severe and hand specialist told me that I would most likely have permanent nerve damage from it. Thankfully, I do not. If you have the option for alternative therapies please consider them before surgery! There are huge risks with surgery, in spite of how many people claim they had great results. Always avoid the knife if you can.
Best to you in your recovery!

[Kelsey]

Hi

I had the official diagnosis of carpal tunnel yesterday morning. Only been in my chair since February of this year and only had very mild symptoms before. Since SCI I've been waking up in agony at night and really struggle to get back to sleep, due to temp, numbness, pins and needles. Pain worse in right but most definately in my left too. I am starting to get pain and numbness driving my car with the hand control too. Can't hold telephone for long and my grip is pretty rubbish.

The doctor has given me splints to wear at night to see if that helps. She did mention the op and said it was a fairly easy operation but going to be difficult due to SCI and using crutches and wheelchair.

I will certainly look into alternative options before I go for surgery.

Edited by Kelsey, 06 July 2011 - 12:25 PM.

[hotwheelsinSD]

I was also diagnosed with Carpel tunnel from wheelchair usage and work. Tried the splints for a few months with no relief. So going to plan for the surgery also, even though that tracton relief sounds like a good idea, I am goin to look into it, hopefully HMO covers it! Hope all goes well with your surgery. I did have the Blessing to talk to an Veteran Wheelchair user, who recomend not waiting , because his got worse.

[Ratticis]

Shit, my hands have been bugging me forever (Since B4 getting gimped, partially due to breaking fingers and never really egtting them set properly) and it's gotten worse and more frequent in the 4 years since. Guess I better get my ass in gear and do something before I really regret it. Think I'd know by now not to let it wait.

[sciiaf]

so wait, some say surgery is quick, painless and done in 5 minutes and others have further damaged their hands? coming to complete non usage of hands?

crap....i am worried about this...surgery sounds severe, i'd rather wear wrist wraps or something.

[McRobb]

Been there, done that two years ago.

Severe carpel tunnel in both hands - felt like my hands were on fire most of the time. Terrible pain and braces almost made it worse.

Hand one hand done first and other a month later. Got along great as I had great doctor. In and out of hospital in one day and home with hand in large bandage. Could still run wheelchair with the bandage on. So things went better than I had hoped. Pain was gone almost immediately after surgery and I was on some heavy duty stuff to make it through the day.

I did start moving fingers while still in bandage - followed doctor's orders. By the time the bandages came off, the therapist gave me copies of the exercises and said because I had been moving fingers so well, I would have no problem getting use back and I didn;t have any problems.

Good luck - yet another lovely thing that goes with life with SCI.

[wheeliebear75]

You said "google" so I did.....49-73% of manual chair users experiencing repetitive motion injuries does seem a bit high but then again we were never designed to have our arms be our main source of....well....EVERYTHING.....but it still beats laying around in bed staring at the the cobwebs grow.

http://www.wheelchai...98/9802art4.PDF

[Edinburgh Colin]

I don't know the details of Carpal Tunnel but I now have numbness in the ends of the 3 middle fingers on both hands, just the last joint. Only seems to have been present since I had surgery for my broken leg last weekend so it may be something completely different,

Opinions anyone?

EC

[greybeard]

Edinburgh Colin, on 09 July 2011 - 05:27 AM, said:

I don't know the details of Carpal Tunnel but I now have numbness in the ends of the 3 middle fingers on both hands, just the last joint. Only seems to have been present since I had surgery for my broken leg last weekend so it may be something completely different,

Opinions anyone?

EC

That sounds more to do with your neck than your leg, especially as it is bi-lateral. Might be worth getting it checked out especially if the numbness is permanent.

[Edinburgh Colin]

greybeard, on 09 July 2011 - 05:55 AM, said:

Edinburgh Colin, on 09 July 2011 - 05:27 AM, said:

I don't know the details of Carpal Tunnel but I now have numbness in the ends of the 3 middle fingers on both hands, just the last joint. Only seems to have been present since I had surgery for my broken leg last weekend so it may be something completely different,

Opinions anyone?

EC

That sounds more to do with your neck than your leg, especially as it is bi-lateral. Might be worth getting it checked out especially if the numbness is permanent.

Thanks and good morning to you too, ha, ha. Never had it before, unless the anesthtetist over bent my neck or something last weekend when they fixed my busted leg?
EC

[greybeard]

Edinburgh Colin, on 09 July 2011 - 06:06 AM, said:

Thanks and good morning to you too, ha, ha. Never had it before, unless the anesthtetist over bent my neck or something last weekend when they fixed my busted leg?
EC

I meant permanent since your surgery. That´s what I was thinking too.

[ZEN12many]

I have carpal tunnel in my right hand (had it before sci). I used to wake up and think my right hand must be dead since it was so numb. I started using the hand brace at night and it solved those symptoms immediately. I definitely wouldn't consider surgery if I hadn't already tried the hand brace.

[edlee]

Before resorting to the surgery,, most "good" doctors will give you a shot of steroids in the carpal area. It reduces the swelling and if it works to relieve your pain, the surgery will most probably work, also. If it doesn't,, then the surgery is ill advised.

Certainly try the splints/braces first,, as well as the shot,, and even the chiropactic therapy,,,,, but,, as a last resort,, don't forego the knife,,, you will lose the use of your hands, eventually, as surely from the swelling as from the cutting.

I had a great deal of pain after the surgery,, and it took about two months to finally subside. My surgeon's name was not used by me without a prefacing multisylable curse for another month beyond that. Now, I'm glad I had it done,,, but I'm very hesitant to have my left wrist done. Maybe in a couple years,,,,, maybe not.
ed

[axl from down under]

para 25 years post injury

I have bilateral carpal tunnel sydrome with wrist/hand gangaloin

I had open carpal tunnel repair on left hand 4 years ago- 6 weeks non weight bearing (used power chair and hoist for transfers) - about 12 weeks full recovery - capral tunnel symptoms have slightly returned

I have avoided having right hand operation on as symtpoms/pain not as severe as left hand

My advice to preserve/avoid carpal tunnel sydrome.
*transfer with closed fist - not open palm
*use "natural fit push rims" on manual chair - http://www.3rivers.c...LT_Brochure.pdf
*use "hatch" push gloves (they have gel protection pad over thumb palm area) for transfers - http://www.hatch-cor....aspx?pid=BR606
*do wrist physio exercises
*use of splints for typing/sleeping

good luck with it

Edited by axl from down under, 06 August 2011 - 11:52 AM.