Beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome

[Reader]

I've had some numbness in my hands at night. The doc said it's carpal tunnel, and to sleep with a brace at night. I've been doing that and it seems to be better. Also I'm doing some stretching exercises I got off the internet. When it bothers me during the day I tape my wrist at work. Any other tips for me? It's not really that bad yet but I want to be smart and prevent any more problems.

I notice my wrist hurts less when I hold my clippers like a pencil, but not all areas of the dogs are accessible without palming the clipper.

[furrybestjob]

I was just wondering what the test is to diagnose carpal tunnel. If anyone has had the surgery, has it helped you? Have you been able to go back to grooming without any issues? What was the recover time?

[RevWind]

In addition to the brace and stretching, I would try getting a regular massage. Either full body from a professional, or get a book to do your arm and wrist yourself. It'll get get the fluid moving and keep waste from backing up into your wrist (which can complicate existing problems). Good luck! Have you been grooming long?

[Reader]

A massage sounds great. The groomer who works with me had the surgery as was out six weeks. She can groom fine, now.

[Mary1980]

Revwind.......so when you have carpal tunnel, waste backs up into the wrist? So carpal tunnel is like circualtion issue? I'm just wondering.

[pamperedpups]

Someone I know was talking to me about having pain and numbness in her hands and wrists. She told me that after getting a memory foam addition for her mattress she felt much better. Sometimes pain in one area can mean a problem somewhere else...

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I don't feel numbness or anything like that, but my hands have started to feel fatigued. I've tried not to hold my scissors and clippers too tightly, but I admit I do have some bad habits.

Any help? Is fatigue in the hands/wrists a sign?

Tammy in Utah

[Pawsitively Purrfect]

I get small cramping between my and finger if Im scissoring foe a long time...I wonder if as groomers these are ailments we are prone to, and it can't be completly helped..

[stacie-gotg]

That is not a sign. You would be in pain on the palm side of the wrist with movement.

[mustluvdogs1]

Try hot wax machine.Feels soooo nice.

I had carpul too....surgery many Augusts ago 10 maybe. No more trouble. I always hold like pencil...Ivac lite..but pricy.other Laubes' probably lighter too. Ai Ulta or maybe Pharmacy buy a hot wax machine. I wanted physio therapy...that is what i hadafter surgery. Md said my work Was therapy. 1dog day next,2dog day next1dog til normal. Right more flexible than left.....too bad it didn't correct my poor typing!!! hahaI could not hold a small drinking glass at first....tried to write L big print like 4 yr. old. heals fast however.

[mustluvdogs1]

Recovery time is 2-3 weeks slowly. Nerves give ya rubber band zap -like zingers now and then at first few mos...healing. Must keep arm elevated a lot. had a huge foam deal from hosp arm rested in. Liked being waited on hahaha. Milk it.

[Dawn125]

I haven't seen a doctor for it but I am also getting carpal tunnel symptoms. I had switched clippers (from a Switchblade to a KM2) right about when this started. My hand is numb when I wake up in the morning. I notice the hand feels weak and aches the day or two after using the clipper for long periods of time. Another interesting symptom is if I run my fingernails of the opposite hand lightly across the skin on the inside of my wrist I get a tingling sensation. I picked up a carpal tunnel wrist brace a couple weeks ago and starting wearing it at night. I immediately noticed an improvement in my symptoms. When I wear the brace my hand is not numb in the morning. Occasionally I forget to put it on and my hand will be numb in the morning. For the moment it seems to be resolving the problem. I haven't been doing any massaging or stretching though. I guess I will check into that now.

[Rosie]

I also get some numbness in my hands and have some pain involved with the grooming process... but I also have a different symptom occur...
Every once in awhile the tendons in my hand tighten up. Almost like someone reeling in a fishing line and my hand cramps completely. I can't bend the fingers, make a fist, straighten my hand out and the pain is EXCRUTIATING! When that happens it usually takes a few days to loosen up and feel better enough to get back to work. I can always tell when it's starting to come on and I try to slow down to prevent it. It usually only happens once or twice a year.
Is that just from overdoing it or is it also a symptom of carpal tunnel?

[K.Clyburn]

I also have carpal tunnel - and have had the test to diagnose it. What they do, is tape electrodes to your hand/fingers, and take a pulse gun (electrode stimulator) and place it in several areas down the arm towards your elbow and send electrical currents down your nerves. Everything is hooked up to a computer, and they track how long it takes for the electric pulse to travel down the nerve and hit the electrode on your hand/finger. The time is then correlated to how much swelling is in your carpal tunnel nerve area. The slower the time, the more severe the damage is. I was diagnosed with moderate carpal tunnel, and sleep in wrist braces at night. The MD can prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to help with pain. They talked to me about surgery, but to be honest, that's the last thing I'll do. I can't afford to be out for 6 weeks, and then they can't guarantee the full use of your hands after that... If it gets worse, there is the option of getting cortisone shots in the joint - and those last for years.

[jlemire1970]

carpal tunnel syndrome

hi

i have carpal tunnel on both hands, sometime the wrist band dont help, as for surgery that dont help either, i know alot of people that went to have surgery and still have to go a second time, a few years later. instead i get cortizone shots on both hands every 6 months, until then i avoiding surgery. i had carpal tunnel for the last 4 years now.


julie