Carpal Tunnel

I had/have it for years , I left it too late for the surgery , I kept saying I was too busy
Anyway by the time it was done it was too late , I still have the numbness , but the pain has mostly gone and it hasn’t got worse , I didn’t have too much pain from the surgery

The surgery, a carpal tunnel decompression, is done as a day case and appears to work well.https://lancashireshoulderclinic.co.uk/condition/calcific-tendinitis/

I have had carpal tunnel syndrome for about 30 years. It came and went and never caused me too much trouble, until earlier this year when it became very painful indeed, day as well as night and my thumb and two fingers became very numb, so off I went to my GP

Her instant response was that my situation plus signs of muscle wastage meant the only solution was surgery, but before she was ALLOWED to do this I had to have a steroid injection to see if that would work (it didn't). However, her recommendation that I got a splint to wear at night has been helpful. It has done nothing to deal with numbness or muscle wastage but it has alleviated much of the pain.

I was referred to a consultant, who said what my GP said - that my problem was advanced enough to only respond to surgery. Despite that I have still had to have a nerve induction test to confirm the problem is carpal tunnel syndrome and that it is advanced before I could be approved for surgery

I reckon these extra tests have cost the NHS nearly £1,000, to prove what was self-evident from the start - and the NHS says it is underfunded!

I had what was probably a mild case of CT a few years ago. Numbness and tingling, especially if woken at night, and first thing in the morning. Was referred for a nerve conduction test which didn't show very much, so I bought a splint from the local pharmacy, and wore this for about a month. this seemed to do the trick, as I never had any further problems.

cartons of "beer" not bear...tut!

I was diagnosed and given wrist splint...I find they really do work..but ugly but yes they work for m.

I am wearing them at the moment at night for about a week and it will ease my symptoms, I may need to use them again in a month or maybe 3 months there is no pattern.
I find them bit uncomfortable to wear at night and they do seem to disturb my sleep (its like you brain knows there something foreign on your wrists)

My job at supermarket does make it worse..lifting heavy bottles/carton of bear etc up

I had a friend who had both wrists done, she said the pain afterwards was horrendous, although it eventually ease.
But yes I say the wrists straps do work, they do for me..you can have some on the nhs..but there are plenty of others on well known sites(diff colours etc ) but I would try the nhs ones first.you have to be measured for them.

No I had a very cursory examination as far as I can remember and a big giveaway is the little finger is never involved if I remember rightly

I was tested for neuropathy at hospital, lots of needles and things. I didn't have it, but they also said it wasn't definitely Carpal tunnel either! I also had lots of ultrasounds at a hand clinic, which were also inconclusive. They tried treating it with steroid injections, but that only helped for a few weeks at a time. As I have osteoporosis, the steroids had to stop and the only option was an op.
It was only when the surgeon performed the op and he could get a good look at the nerve, that he said that it was a very severe case.
However, as I said previously, it was actually too late by then and my hand and wrist are still very painful a year after the op. One piece of good news, my hand is much less numb than before the op.
I was very fortunate in that my rheumatologist persisted in investigating the pain and referred me to different people, I know others are not as fortunate as me.
I hope you get some relief soon.

Thanks everyone. One more question. GP asked a couple of questions and tapped the inside of my wrist, asked how it felt and cincluded it was CT. Seemed a bit like guess work to me. Was your diagnosis more involved ?
I told him I thought I had diabetic neuropathy.

I was diagnosed with Carpal tunnel, The pain was indescribable. I never got a decent night's sleep for about two years before it was diagnosed, as it was initially suggested my Rheumatoid arthritis was to blame, then it was diagnosed as tensynovitis.
My splints were prescribed by my rheumatologist, so a physio fitted the correct type. However, I had eventually an op at this time last year to release the nerve. Unfortunately it had been left too late before they decided to operate. I am back to wearing splints.
My advice is don't wait too long before asking to be referred, as most people make a full recovery.

I have carpel tunnel I have had one operation some years back unfortunately although it worked well the surgeon stitched it up way too tight and I got an infection in it ended up in hospital for a few days then had to be given gas and air to get the stitches out as they were actually pulled inside the skin however I got relief from the CT for a good many years it is now back I m told it often does return I don’t have pain just pins and needles and numbness I don’t find the splints do much but worth trying everyone’s different and worth a try
My mum had CT and had the op my eldest daughters had it and had a rather horrendous op where the local anaesthetic didn’t work I had it under sedation she said she’d never have another and I don’t think they offer sedation now, I think it’s just a local for everyone

Sorry, I do not know about the splint. That was not offered yonks ago, it was straight on the list when the pain became unbearable.

I do appreciate that not all surgery works, I am an example of a knee replacement!

Charleygirl I know two people that have had the surgery, one was delighted with the result the other not so. I realise I may end up with surgery but was just wondering if the splint helps at all.

The surgery, a carpal tunnel decompression, is done as a day case and appears to work well.

Thanks ann
I too was advised to wear it at night. He didn't mention that that might be all that's needed though.
The burning is flipping painful.

My D was diagnosed with this last week, she has been prescribed Naproxen and told to get a splint but
I don't know if she has got one yet.
I will ask this evening and report back, her GP did say wearing one overnight would most probably lead to no further treatment.