I've been dealing with low level carpal tunnel syndrome for about a year and a half and hoping it would go away on its own hasn't helped. It doesn't get in my way but I don't want to mess around with it either. Since I make my living as a programmer, its difficult for me to get away from a computer keyboard. I think my setup is reasonably ergonomic. Up until recently I simply thought I was somehow immune to these problems.

At the moment I think I'll try resting my right hand as much as possible which can be difficult since its my dominant hand.

My initial research seems to indicate that people cycle through a lot of different things trying to find what works for them. Have you worked through this? If so, what worked for you?

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Back in my old office job, around 1990, I had the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow in my right arm, and pretty bad cubital tunnel problems (elbow to hand, with the pinky and ring fingers going numb or tingling, elbow pain). I alleviated some of it by using better mice. I tried a trackball, but that just shifted the pain to my thumb and wrist. I got a Logitech MouseMan that had three buttons, which could be programmed to have a double-click, a click-lock, etc. The click-lock was the key to getting rid of the tennis elbow: no more need for downward pressure when dragging objects and also, no strain on the wrist while dragging. Eventually I got 3-button Contour Design Perfit mice, and have used them ever since.

The cubital tunnel issue was worse. For a couple of years, I had to try to sleep with my arms straight, not rest my arms on armrests (concerts, movie, planes) for more than a very short time, etc. I saw a hand specialist who suggested an exercise with a grip strengthener, but said the only option likely to help was to do far less keyboard entry. He said that the surgery for it was not anything I would want to have.

I managed to reduce the amount of keyboard work I did, but the cubital tunnel irritation still came back if I did a lot of text entry.

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My life goes smoothly and in regular intervals



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2024 12:32PM by ka jowct.

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ka jowct
He said that the surgery for it was not anything I would want to have.

I know two people who had the surgery and both felt that they had been scammed. Your suggestions will surely accomplish a lot more.

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Years ago I had it. Wearing a splint to keep my wrist straight helped. Doctor also directed me to take aspirin as an anti-inflammatory. They may prefer something else these days. I also ended up not wearing a wrist watch, that also irritated the wrist. I rarely get pain from the wrist now, doctor did mention that the carpal tunnel does tend to get larger as we age and many people age out of the syndrome.

ka jowct - was your work particularly mouse heavy? vs keyboard? I looked up the mouse you use, looks like its no longer made. A vertical mouse might be a good option. How finicky were you with mice?

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Once you have it, the inflammation is what's keeping it going. I call my situation that has my CPS 'in remission'. I avoided surgery but was a candidate.

To remove triggers, in my experience you need to get serious about ergonomic issues. Really care about angles and keyboards and how you use your laptop's trackpad for example.

What was critical for my treatment was finding a viable way to reduce chronic inflammation. It did not get better until I had an unrelated back issue. CTS went away as my bad disc healed due to the regular Alleve I was taking. YYMV.

One of the non-computer work triggers is assembling home furniture with a ton of screws. I solve that using an electric screwdriver.

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mattkime
ka jowct - was your work particularly mouse heavy? vs keyboard? I looked up the mouse you use, looks like its no longer made. A vertical mouse might be a good option. How finicky were you with mice?

We were doing DTP stuff plus later some presentations using Persuasion (so much better than Powerpoint) so it was both. The old Apple 1-button mice were terrible. I have been very finicky about mice since developing those problems

I also did a lot of text entry. I was able to eliminate a lot of that by doing a lot of pre-import cleanup on the source docs, which were MS Word, and contained the usual crud: double spaces after periods, double (or more) carriage returns, extra tabs because no one could be bothered to change the defaults, etc. I am not sure how much better the various "ergonomic" keyboards are. I tried to type with less rotation of the hands to flat, but ultimately the thing that helped was just typing less.

I was really sad when Contour discontinued the Perfit mouse: I stocked up, in fact, when they were on sale in the spring of 2022. I don't know how their Unimouse compares, but I may give one a try.

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My life goes smoothly and in regular intervals

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sekker
… you need to get serious about ergonomic issues. Really care about angles and keyboards and how you use your laptop's trackpad for example.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. I now compute on a large table where I can rest my elbows if I must.
I’m curious about variable height, standing desks.

Oh, I should add this - my trouble seems to have started when I was doing some DIY work at a relative's house. I was installing shelves into fossilized studs. In retrospect, I wish I would have "worked smarter not harder" - I pushed and twisted the screwdriver as forcefully as I could - what handyman hasn't been there? I should have simply drilled a slightly larger hole.

That produced wrist pain that's never entirely subsided. Working with my laptop on my lap seems to cause trouble as well.

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I had Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery on my Right hand in 2015 and left in 2017. I tried braces at night which worked for a while but it got to the point where I would wake up with total numbness in my thumb and pointer finger. When it got to the point that they stayed numb most of the time I decided to go ahead with the surgery. Had a EMG to confirm the numbness was nerve related. My Doctor told me the nerve can recover after surgery but could take over a year. Fortunately for me I got immediate relief and have not had any issues since.

I should add that the surgery wasn't bad. A one inch incision in the palm above the wrist. In and out of the surgery center in about 4 hours. Was using my hand for most daily activities once the stitches were
removed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2024 07:09PM by cyclemax.

After reading the symptoms, I’m probably about a 2 of a 1-10 scale of severity.

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By the way, you should definitely see a qualified MD.

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mattkime
Oh, I should add this - my trouble seems to have started when I was doing some DIY work at a relative's house. I was installing shelves into fossilized studs. In retrospect, I wish I would have "worked smarter not harder" - I pushed and twisted the screwdriver as forcefully as I could - what handyman hasn't been there? I should have simply drilled a slightly larger hole.

That produced wrist pain that's never entirely subsided. Working with my laptop on my lap seems to cause trouble as well.

Yep. DIY projects definitely can trigger it for me.

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rich in distress
By the way, you should definitely see a qualified MD.

This

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sekker

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rich in distress
By the way, you should definitely see a qualified MD.

This

Am I likely to get useful advice on the first visit to a specialist? I'm not interested in doing imaging at this point - I have a high deductible plan so it would be expensive. Also, I might as well try the equivalent of taking an aspirin before seeing the doctor.

I started to get it in my 30's (I'm in my late 60's now), and one thing has worked amazingly well since then: I put a keyboard and trackpad on my lap. That's the angle that works really well for me. It feels very ergonomic. I get a very mild twinge maybe a couple of times a year, but that's it.

I don't know if it will work for you, but it's been miraculous for me. Hallelujah! Seriously, give yourself a couple of day break, and then ease back into it with the lap solution.

Good luck!

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anonymouse1
I started to get it in my 30's (I'm in my late 60's now), and one thing has worked amazingly well since then: I put a keyboard and trackpad on my lap. That's the angle that works really well for me. It feels very ergonomic. I get a very mild twinge maybe a couple of times a year, but that's it.

I don't know if it will work for you, but it's been miraculous for me. Hallelujah! Seriously, give yourself a couple of day break, and then ease back into it with the lap solution.

Good luck!

That would put your arms/elbows at a better, less stressful angle. Maybe a higher chair or a lower shelf for the mouse and keyboard would help the OP.

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My life goes smoothly and in regular intervals

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mattkime

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sekker

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rich in distress
By the way, you should definitely see a qualified MD.

This

Am I likely to get useful advice on the first visit to a specialist? I'm not interested in doing imaging at this point - I have a high deductible plan so it would be expensive. Also, I might as well try the equivalent of taking an aspirin before seeing the doctor.

Try over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like naproxen or ibuprofen (or even aspirin!) for 2 weeks. Remember to not skip doses.

And stay off DIY projects while you do it.

If that helps at all, there is likely a path to health without surgery.

My wife had carpal tunnel release surgery on both wrists early last fall. The procedure took less than an hour for both wrists. Relief was not immediate, as there is swelling involved. But by about 6 weeks out, things were much better.

The cause was really unclear, as she did not do any one thing too repetitively as a kindergarten teacher. But she had pain and numbness while sleeping for years and wrist supports only offered limited relief.

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

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Markintosh
The cause was really unclear, as she did not do any one thing too repetitively as a kindergarten teacher. But she had pain and numbness while sleeping for years and wrist supports only offered limited relief.

This was my situation. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Can Be Hereditary. If you have a close blood relative with the condition, you are at increased risk regardless of whether your activities involve repetitive motion. In my case my father had it in both hands.

How were you diagnosed?

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Black
How were you diagnosed?

Self diagnosis. My wrist is sore. Less sore when I refrain from computer usage.

Angled (almost vertical) mice are my solution.

Trackpad works well, but not for everything (like CAD).

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cyclemax
I had Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery on my Right hand in 2015 and left in 2017. Fortunately for me I got immediate relief and have not had any issues since.

I should add that the surgery wasn't bad. A one inch incision in the palm above the wrist. In and out of the surgery center in about 4 hours. Was using my hand for most daily activities once the stitches were
removed.

My surgery was much earlier around 1990. Both hands but separated by 3 months or so.
Almost immediate relief for me, as well. Not a problem since!

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Bill
Flagler Beach, FL 32136

Carpe Vino!

Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.
— David Rains Wallace

Based on this thread, I'm going to give the Contour UniMouse a try.

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My life goes smoothly and in regular intervals