Carpal tunnel syndrome

Because one of my daughters has had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome—plus additional surgeries on her hands—I was drawn to an article inThe Daily Beast that reported on a ten-minute surgery for the ailment (small incision in palm; snip a tendon [!]). As I was reading about symptoms I was brought up short. Whoa! That’s what I have! The symptoms include tingling and numbness in the hand, usually affecting the thumb, index, and middle fingers; perhaps also a burning or pins-and-needles sensation. The discomfort frequently occurs at night, mostly because the way the sufferer positions his or her hands.

I’d been having these symptoms for a couple of months and assumed it was a pinched nerve—perhaps in my shoulder or neck (my shoulder had been hurting). I’d have the symptoms nearly every night, sometimes with severe pain in my lower right arm. Getting up and walking around seemed to help. Sleeping on my side was impossible, so I began to sleep on my stomach. Sometimes I’d have the symptoms just sitting in a chair and reading. Massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture didn’t help. 

Your carpal tunnel is a narrow, rigid passageway composed of ligament and bones at the base of your hand. It houses tendons as well as the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into your hand. The tunnel is a rather tight space. Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when the median nerve, which passes through the tunnel, gets compressed within the tunnel—usually by irritated tendons that swell or thicken. It’s that compression on the nerve that causes the pain.

Medical people don’t precisely know the causes of the disease: perhaps genetic, or injury to the wrist, or mechanical problems with the wrist joint, fluid retention, development of a cyst, and so forth. I certainly don’t know why I got it at the age of 83. But once I figured out my problem, I’ve been able to avoid the discomfort just by paying attention to what my hands are doing. I now sleep on my side again, but I place my wrists in a neutral position, making sure not to curl my hands under the pillow. Apparently, wrist braces also help, which I might try. For sure, I don't want a tendon snipped.

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