Carpal Tunnel

[hzl eyed grl]

I've asked questions in the past about carpal tunnel, but now I can't remember what I've asked nor the replies and I can't find it in a search, so here we go. lol

If you have carpal tunnel, do your hands get hot? My hands feel really hot most of the time. I've gotten injections in my wrists and the last ones were pretty successful and lasted quite a while. I see my doc on Friday and I'm going to see if he'll do another round of the injections because my hands are starting to ache again, horribly. It was SO nice after the injections (Which are fucking painful! ugh lol But then again, I'm a baby.) because they stopped aching and I was in heaven.

Also....have any of you had surgery for it? I'm not thinking of it, I'm just wondering if any of you have had it.

 

[eits]

no, they don't get hot.

it depends on what path the pain in your hand travels.

get some athletic tape or a heavy duty rubberband... then, have the tip of your thumb and pinky touch each other. wrap tape a few times around the base of your hand (not the wrist... just through the meaty part of the bottom of your hand). then, stop touching your pinky and thumb together. you should feel relief after a little bit. take some nsaids and use ice to bring the swelling of your carpal tunnel down.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Originally posted by: eits
no, they don't get hot.

it depends on what path the pain in your hand travels.

get some athletic tape or a heavy duty rubberband... then, have the tip of your thumb and pinky touch each other. wrap tape a few times around the base of your hand (not the wrist... just through the meaty part of the bottom of your hand). then, stop touching your pinky and thumb together. you should feel relief after a little bit. take some nsaids and use ice to bring the swelling of your carpal tunnel down.

I'm trying to picture the description and for some reason, it isn't coming to me. Maybe you should send me a vid clip. lol I'm ruh-tar-did. haha And hello, btw.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Hm, hot-hands? When it's fairly cold out, do you hands also get really cold and take a long time to warm up? I have what's called Reynaud's disease, in which the temperature of the environment effects the inflammation and temperature of my hands. When I'm in a warm indoor area, my hands get very warm and a bit swollen. When I'm outside in the cold, my hands get extremely cold and they take forever to heat up once inside. Check it out. It might be unrelated to the wrist pain.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Hm, hot-hands? When it's fairly cold out, do you hands also get really cold and take a long time to warm up? I have what's called Reynaud's disease, in which the temperature of the environment effects the inflammation and temperature of my hands. When I'm in a warm indoor area, my hands get very warm and a bit swollen. When I'm outside in the cold, my hands get extremely cold and they take forever to heat up once inside. Check it out. It might be unrelated to the wrist pain.

My hands and feet will get VERY cold and my fingernails turn blue/purple. They'll also take a long time to warm up like you describe. Sometimes wearing gloves doesn't really help, either, because they'll just be cold inside the gloves. (Thankfully, I'm back home in California and I live about 8 blocks from the beach, so it doesn't get freezing here.) It's not hot right now, but my hands (more in my right hand) are hot and feel a little swollen. I'm hoping the injections will help, but is it possible to have both the Reynaud's AND carpal tunnel at the same time?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Hm, hot-hands? When it's fairly cold out, do you hands also get really cold and take a long time to warm up? I have what's called Reynaud's disease, in which the temperature of the environment effects the inflammation and temperature of my hands. When I'm in a warm indoor area, my hands get very warm and a bit swollen. When I'm outside in the cold, my hands get extremely cold and they take forever to heat up once inside. Check it out. It might be unrelated to the wrist pain.

My hands and feet will get VERY cold and my fingernails turn blue/purple. They'll also take a long time to warm up like you describe. Sometimes wearing gloves doesn't really help, either, because they'll just be cold inside the gloves. (Thankfully, I'm back home in California and I live about 8 blocks from the beach, so it doesn't get freezing here.) It's not hot right now, but my hands (more in my right hand) are hot and feel a little swollen. I'm hoping the injections will help, but is it possible to have both the Reynaud's AND carpal tunnel at the same time?

Yep, those are definitely symptoms of Reynaud's - blue, white, purple color changes in hands when cold. Swelling and redness when warm. I live in NorCal and I have probs in the winter time. The only gloves that have ever helped were leather, cashmere-lined, and expensive as hell...and they don't even prevent it. They just lessen the effects.

Reynaud's is often a genetic thing and can be induced sometimes from different diseases or treatments in general so yeah, you could definitely have Reynaud's (genetic) + carpel tunnel (environmental or both genetic and environmental). There's not really much you can do about it except take precautionary efforts. When your hands get really hot, you can try to squeeze the blood back toward your heart to lessen the swelling and heat sensation. It only helps momentarily though.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Yeah, I've rarely had a pair of gloves that helped me. It sucks. I got a pair of those knit gloves that I've always called like "hobo gloves" that are cut off at the knuckles. Those actually kept my hands warm. Hmmm I might go put those on! lol I couldn't believe that they helped.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Oh I just noticed....my hand feels hot, but I touched it to my face and the skin is cool.

 

[conorvansmack]

My mom had carpal tunnel and had both hot and cold feelings in her hands as well as tingling. It's a nerve problem, so you won't feel it on the surface of your skin.

 

[Sust]

If you havent seen one yet, then get thee to a rheumatologist. There might be more to it that rheumatology might be able to do for you. Can your primary care provider write a referral note for you?

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Originally posted by: conorvansmack
My mom had carpal tunnel and had both hot and cold feelings in her hands as well as tingling. It's a nerve problem, so you won't feel it on the surface of your skin.

Good to know I'm not the only one. lol

Originally posted by: Sust
If you havent seen one yet, then get thee to a rheumatologist. There might be more to it that rheumatology might be able to do for you. Can your primary care provider write a referral note for you?

When I lived in Virginia, I saw a rheumatologist. Right now I just go to a pain management clinic. I'll have to look into it.

 

[Sust]

I'm no expert in CTS, but here's an article that should get you started on some answers.
Apparently fasciotomies are fairly simple and uncomplicated.
Maybe you could be a candidate for some neurosurgery on your wrist?
Did you have these same symptoms when you saw the rheumatologist? If so then what was the verdict then?

 

[eits]

the deal diagnostic test for cts is a ncv (nerve conduction velocity). you should have that done before having it be a diagnosis, because it could be something else.

cts surgeries are unsuccessful most of the time, so i'd try and keep away from that if i were you.

what i was describing in my previous post is pretty simple.... it's kinda like holding up your hand like you're trying to show "three", then tape the base together the thenar and hypothenar areas together (google "thenar" and "hypothenar" so you get the picture). wrap the tape around your hand once or twice so it stays.

it works amazingly for cts patients.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

I have had the nerve conduction study. That fucker HURT! :| The doc that did it said that it's worse in my right hand and that I have a pinched nerve in my left elbow.

 

[conorvansmack]

Well, at least that's an answer. What's next?

 

[conorvansmack]

D'oh, double post.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Originally posted by: conorvansmack
Well, at least that's an answer. What's next?

I'm not sure. I'm scheduled to get shots to help relieve the pain next week, but someone had told me that she'd had the surgery for it and it worked for her. I don't know. I really don't want to have yet another surgery.

 

[eits]

did you try what i recommended first?

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Originally posted by: eits
did you try what i recommended first?

I haven't been able to yet. I don't have the tape or rubberband. I also don't have a car to get to the store right now, but I do have some tape that I had used when I had my coccygectomy, so maybe that will work.