Carpel Tunnel Doctor

[geri317]

What kind of doctor do I see for carpel tunnel syndrome? Anyone have a good one to recommend?

[John_W]

First you'll need your family doctor to refer you to a neurologist. That doctor will perform a test on your arms and hands. In my case in 2003 I had severe CTS in both hands. What that means is, of the 3 major nerves that go through the wrist to the hand, one was completely closed, squeezed off. However, if you were in severe pain like I was, I couldn't even sleep laying down, only sitting up in bed. My regular doctor prescribed oxycodin for me on my initial visit with him.

After you get the neurology test and it comes back positive, you need a hand surgeon. They'll operate on each hand separate six weeks apart. Can't do both at one time, think about it, you'll be wearing a cast for about ten days. There is a choice to be made, either to go in through the wrist or the palm. Through the wrist means you'll wear a soft cast for 3 days, but if he finds scar tissue, he'll have to go in again through the palm. I selected through the palm and wore the hard cast for ten days.

There is a band in the wrist that goes around the three nerves, when the band is too tight it will squeeze one the nerves until it shuts down. The surgeon cuts the band and lets it expand. It will regrow back together but at a bigger diameter and hence the pressure on the nerve will go away. The surgery is not as bad as recovery, trying to do everything one handed is a pain. The surgery you'll do in twlight sleep, I was awake the whole time and was talking with the doctor. I asked him once if I could put my arm down, not thinking he had started, he said my arm was down and he was almost finished.

The surgeon put the incision right where I have a line on the palm of my hand so you can't see any scar. After six weeks they'll then do the other hand. Funny thing about CTS, it's not caused by repetitive motion like everyone thinks, it's hereditary. You'll get it no matter what type hand motion you have been doing. The reason people think it from keyboard, guitar playing, etc, is because that's when they have the pain. The pain will come because you body was built that way, not from something you did.

[rn1tv]

Dr. Cynthia Harding performed my hand surgery (resection of thumb from severe arthritis) and I was extremely pleased. Some think she is a bit odd, but she is a skilled and caring surgeon.

[OldManTime]

Just make sure who ever does it they use the latest procedure of Micro Surgery, rather than cutting a 3" gash in your hand.