Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Support Group

I am trying the cirrus. So far it seems to be working. I played guitar for over an hour last night and my fingers stayed 'awake' for the 1st time in weeks. However, when I went to bed my left arm was aching badly. WTF? Maybe I was having a stroke, but at least I could feel my fingers again!! LOL

I love the way that it makes my hands feel warm like there's circulation going on. I can't decide if the CoreFlex is better or not though. Maybe you should experiment. I had a MRI scan a while ago and my results were Stenosis in my neck. My backbone is growing shut on my spine in one place, and I think that's probably where my problems are coming from. I've been having problems with balance and walking as well.

I bought a book from Amazon called 'End Your Carpal Tunnel Pain Without Surgery' by Kate Montgomery, and she talks about musicians she's helped with her exercises. The Kindle version is quite cheap and it sounds like a good plan that she has. She advises against surgery as it leaves scar tissue that rubs on the same nerves. Might be worth a shot for you. I doubt that mine will straighten out till I get my neck fixed.

Arm pain is the norm for carpal tunnel. Massage will help a lot. The book I mentioned tells you how to, but I have it done by a therapist and she's very thorough.

I got the generic Cissus Ketosterones from Swanson or some other supplement warehouse that my bro frequents. It is about $22 for a months supply. The Bodybuilding supplement sites push products they mark up everything and put a fancy wrapper on it. I think once I get over some strained ligaments in my elbow, I will resume with the workouts. Right now I can't even pick up a house fan with my right arm!!! What a wreck!!!! LOL

I'll have to look into that. I know what you mean - I've been a wreck since December. Sure hope I find something for this stenosis.

Geez!! Mr. Long, I hope it isn't heart related stuff! That scares the crap outta me, and I very experienced in horrific things. One of my old bass players had to have stents inserted, and my brother is using one of the old mechanical valves from the 80's. I hope your problem is a lot less severe.

I had an MRI done and I have spinal stenosis in C6 and foraminal stenosis in another one. The foraminal is probably causing my arm problems and the spinal is causing my leg problems. I've had scans on my neck and all my veins are clear, had an EEG and my brain is OK, and my heart is good. I have to go to a specialist about the stenosis. I think there's operations, but that's a scary place to work on so close to the spine. I think they have less invasive surgeries now, but the ones I read about before cut the back bone, spread it apart and wedge in a piece of bone to make the channel bigger. I think they pick out the arthritis with a laser for the foraminal. In case you don't know. Foraminal is the nerves exiting the back bone from the side being pinched by arthritis, and Spinal is the backbone shrinking with age, or growing shut with arthritis, and pinching the whole spine. I can see now why some old people have the gait they have.

I feel very fortunate when I look at your dilemma Mr. Long. I can't imagine the complicated ramifications of such a surgery. I have a bad gait, but I am 60, and one leg is 3/4" shorter than the other due to a compound fracture at the pelvis and leg joint, and the subsequent surgeries to miter and splice the bone. The arthritis started settling in just about the time I had all the hardware removed, and I felt like the area had "healed".
I went through 6 years of rehab and therapy, and not once when I complained about my sore hip and uneven gait was it suggested that one leg might actually have been shorter than the other by a Doctor or Pro Therapist! I had to find that out by pushing my VA DR. into giving me a new scan!! Even when I took a tape out in front of the guy, and measured between my heel and crotch, and showed him the difference, he did not seem to believe me. He must have gotten his degree in Medieval Sorcery!! LOL!!

I'll be 60 in October, and a lot of the spinal stenosis is from old age I guess. Just that the arthritis doesn't help a lot. I've been having a lot of lower back pain and i think I'd better get a scan of my lumbar region as that's supposed to be the place that causes the walking problems. I thought the girl at the scanner said she was doing the whole backbone, but maybe she didn't, at least the doctor made no mention of it. Anyway, I'm anxious to get to a specialist because I'm really tired of stuff not working right. Makes work to hard.

One of the exercises in that Carpal Tunnel book is to hold your elbow in the palm of the other hand and swing your lower arm out to put the joint in it's place. Do it sideways and up and down. Maybe that will help your ligaments. It's a good book with lots of info and if you have a Kindle reader or a Kindle app on your iPad or iPhone, you can get it for $10


Mel

I try all kinds of stretching and contortions. I am trying my cardio on my heavy duty stepper, but I find that when I get 15 minutes into serious work (sweating), I notice that I have both handlebars in a strong grip at a mild angle, but not a natural angle. I am trying to just lay my wrists out straight for balance, and not use the grips at all. It seems to be way less stressful on the wrist joints. I will also get back to the inversion table, and get the circulation to a max flow to the upper extremities. Maybe after a few weeks I can attempt to get back to free weights, but at this point I think the joints need treatment and rest, and not punishment.
I guess when they told me at the clinic that I have 'degenerative joint disease' and it is only going to get worse, I thought they were pulling my leg. Or maybe I don't want to hear that sort of stuff? probably into denial about my motality is more like it!