Post by rach on Aug 25, 2008 21:01:40 GMT -5
Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere, i couldn't find it.
Anyway i'm so excited to have another disease to add to my list!! Saw my GP yesterday, who believes i probably have the onset of Carpal Tunnel thanks to fluid retention and weight gain from taking Danazol.
Anyone else have any experience with this? I'm particularly interested in anything that can help relieve the tingling sentation- it doesn't hurt but it is a very strange feeling and especially when i first waker up i can't do anything with my left hand! It affects mostly my thumb and forefinger on the left hand, but when i sleep my whole hand/both hands get pretty numb/pins and needles.
This is from wiki:
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or median neuropathy at the wrist is a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias, and muscle weakness in the hand. True carpal tunnel only elicits symptoms in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, along the median nerve distribution, but some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well.[1] A form of compressive neuropathy, CTS is more common in women than it is in men and has a peak incidence around age 42, though it can occur at any age.[2] The lifetime risk for CTS is around 10% of the adult population.[3]
Most cases of CTS are idiopathic (without known cause). Repetitive activities are often blamed for the development of CTS along with several other possible causes. However, the correlation is often unclear.
It is a multi-faceted problem and can therefore be challenging to treat. Still, there are a multitude of possible treatments: treating any possible underlying disease or condition, immobilizing braces, prioritizing hand activities, and ergonomics. Recent studies have shown that medications have not been able to modify the extent of the disease. Ultimately, carpal tunnel release surgery may be required in which outcomes are generally good.
Many people that have carpal tunnel syndrome have gradually increasing symptoms over time. The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation) in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, although some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well.[3] These symptoms appear at night because many people sleep with bent wrists which further compresses the carpal tunnel. If the median nerve is already under stress, the increased compression of the bent wrist results in numbness and tingling. Difficulty gripping and making a fist, dropping objects, and weakness are symptoms of progression. In early stages of CTS individuals often mistakenly blame the tingling and numbness on restricted blood circulation and they believe their hands are simply “falling asleep”. In chronic cases, there may be wasting of the thenar muscles (the body of muscles which are connected to the thumb)
Unless numbness or paresthesia are among the predominant symptoms, it is unlikely the symptoms are primarily caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. In effect, pain of any type, location, or severity with the absence of significant numbness or paresthesia is not likely to fall under this diagnosis.
Stress related
Studies have also related carpal tunnel and other upper extremity complaints with psychological and social factors. A large amount of psychological distress showed doubled risk of the report of pain, while job demands, poor support from colleagues, and work dissatisfaction also showed an increase in the report of pain, even after short term exposure.[12] A minority viewpoint holds that stress is the main cause, rather than a contributing factor, of a large fraction of pain symptoms usually attributed to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Prioritizing hand activities and ergonomics
Any forceful and repetitive use of the hands and wrists can cause upper extremity pain. More frequent rest can be useful if it can be orchestrated into one's schedule. It has been shown that taking multiple mini breaks during the stressful activity is more effective than taking occasional long breaks.[citation needed] There are computer applications that aid users in taking breaks. All of these applications have recommended defaults, following the most effective average break configuration, which is a 30 sec. pause every 3 to 5 minutes (the more severe the pain, the more often one should take this break). There are also programs that automatically click the mouse such as ZClack. Before investing in these types of programs, it's best to consult with a doctor and research whether computer use is causing or contributing to the symptoms, as well as getting a formal diagnosis.
More pro-active ways to reducing the stress on the wrists which will alleviate wrist pain and strain involve adopting a more ergonomic work and life environment. Switching from a QWERTY computer keyboard layout to a more optimised ergonomic layout such as Dvorak was commonly cited as beneficial in early CTS studies, however some meta-analyses of these studies claim that the evidence that they present is limited.[31][32]
It is also important that one's body be aligned properly with the keyboard. This is most easily accomplished by bending ones elbows to a 90 degree angle and making sure the keyboard is at the same height as the elbows. Also it is important not to put physical stress on the wrists by hanging the wrist on the edge of a desk, or exposing the wrists to strong vibrations (e.g. manual lawn mowing). Position the computer monitor directly in front of your seat, so the neck is not twisted to either side when viewing the screen.[citation needed]
Exercises that relax and strengthen the muscles of the upper back can reduce the risk of a double crush of the median nerve.
Massage is one of the most overlooked methods for treatment of the symptoms of CTS. The use of myofascial release and active stretch release can erase the pain, numbness, tingling and burning in minutes. Then following up with the stretches and exercises afore mentioned will lengthen the relief attained by these release techniques.
Anyway i'm so excited to have another disease to add to my list!! Saw my GP yesterday, who believes i probably have the onset of Carpal Tunnel thanks to fluid retention and weight gain from taking Danazol.
Anyone else have any experience with this? I'm particularly interested in anything that can help relieve the tingling sentation- it doesn't hurt but it is a very strange feeling and especially when i first waker up i can't do anything with my left hand! It affects mostly my thumb and forefinger on the left hand, but when i sleep my whole hand/both hands get pretty numb/pins and needles.
This is from wiki:
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or median neuropathy at the wrist is a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias, and muscle weakness in the hand. True carpal tunnel only elicits symptoms in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, along the median nerve distribution, but some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well.[1] A form of compressive neuropathy, CTS is more common in women than it is in men and has a peak incidence around age 42, though it can occur at any age.[2] The lifetime risk for CTS is around 10% of the adult population.[3]
Most cases of CTS are idiopathic (without known cause). Repetitive activities are often blamed for the development of CTS along with several other possible causes. However, the correlation is often unclear.
It is a multi-faceted problem and can therefore be challenging to treat. Still, there are a multitude of possible treatments: treating any possible underlying disease or condition, immobilizing braces, prioritizing hand activities, and ergonomics. Recent studies have shown that medications have not been able to modify the extent of the disease. Ultimately, carpal tunnel release surgery may be required in which outcomes are generally good.
Many people that have carpal tunnel syndrome have gradually increasing symptoms over time. The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation) in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, although some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well.[3] These symptoms appear at night because many people sleep with bent wrists which further compresses the carpal tunnel. If the median nerve is already under stress, the increased compression of the bent wrist results in numbness and tingling. Difficulty gripping and making a fist, dropping objects, and weakness are symptoms of progression. In early stages of CTS individuals often mistakenly blame the tingling and numbness on restricted blood circulation and they believe their hands are simply “falling asleep”. In chronic cases, there may be wasting of the thenar muscles (the body of muscles which are connected to the thumb)
Unless numbness or paresthesia are among the predominant symptoms, it is unlikely the symptoms are primarily caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. In effect, pain of any type, location, or severity with the absence of significant numbness or paresthesia is not likely to fall under this diagnosis.
Stress related
Studies have also related carpal tunnel and other upper extremity complaints with psychological and social factors. A large amount of psychological distress showed doubled risk of the report of pain, while job demands, poor support from colleagues, and work dissatisfaction also showed an increase in the report of pain, even after short term exposure.[12] A minority viewpoint holds that stress is the main cause, rather than a contributing factor, of a large fraction of pain symptoms usually attributed to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Prioritizing hand activities and ergonomics
Any forceful and repetitive use of the hands and wrists can cause upper extremity pain. More frequent rest can be useful if it can be orchestrated into one's schedule. It has been shown that taking multiple mini breaks during the stressful activity is more effective than taking occasional long breaks.[citation needed] There are computer applications that aid users in taking breaks. All of these applications have recommended defaults, following the most effective average break configuration, which is a 30 sec. pause every 3 to 5 minutes (the more severe the pain, the more often one should take this break). There are also programs that automatically click the mouse such as ZClack. Before investing in these types of programs, it's best to consult with a doctor and research whether computer use is causing or contributing to the symptoms, as well as getting a formal diagnosis.
More pro-active ways to reducing the stress on the wrists which will alleviate wrist pain and strain involve adopting a more ergonomic work and life environment. Switching from a QWERTY computer keyboard layout to a more optimised ergonomic layout such as Dvorak was commonly cited as beneficial in early CTS studies, however some meta-analyses of these studies claim that the evidence that they present is limited.[31][32]
It is also important that one's body be aligned properly with the keyboard. This is most easily accomplished by bending ones elbows to a 90 degree angle and making sure the keyboard is at the same height as the elbows. Also it is important not to put physical stress on the wrists by hanging the wrist on the edge of a desk, or exposing the wrists to strong vibrations (e.g. manual lawn mowing). Position the computer monitor directly in front of your seat, so the neck is not twisted to either side when viewing the screen.[citation needed]
Exercises that relax and strengthen the muscles of the upper back can reduce the risk of a double crush of the median nerve.
Massage is one of the most overlooked methods for treatment of the symptoms of CTS. The use of myofascial release and active stretch release can erase the pain, numbness, tingling and burning in minutes. Then following up with the stretches and exercises afore mentioned will lengthen the relief attained by these release techniques.