Welcome to No Carpal Tunnel Blog.

Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals, and are not qualified to provide medical information.

We have felt the pain and are here to share our roadmap to recovery from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Hand Pain, Wrist pain, and RSI.  The first step in healing is admitting that you have a major problem.

• Do your hands hurt after using the computer?
• Do you find yourself dropping more items?
• Are you constantly re-tying your shoelaces?
• Does it hurt to floss your teeth?
• Are your hands or wrist hurting when you wake up, after driving, after playing videogames or using your smartphone?

This slowly debilitating condition is a product of years of physical abuse on your body. The body wasn’t built to type on a computer all day long. It will take months or years to recover from the damage. The tendons and other muscles were not built to taking the pounding of keyboards, swiping, or mouse clicks all day. Kids are starting to use computers at progressively younger ages, making carpal tunnel a growing problem throughout the population. Adjusting your workstation, popping vitamins, or buying an ergonomic keyboard will not solve all your problems. There is no silver bullet or quick fix.

Diagnosis

The first step in recovery is finding a competent hand doctor and getting a proper diagnosis.  Many hand doctors also perform or mainly perform cosmetic surgery. We have had better luck utilizing doctors that specialize in occupational medicine. Ask your friends, colleagues, and family for suggestions.  We are not medical professionals, and are not qualified to provide medical information. Look for a diagnosis from your doctor and a prescription for hand therapy.  Surgery is a last resort and often only gives temporary relief.

Hand Therapy

Hand Therapists helped me the most with my recovery and education.  Support groups are also very helpful. From them, you will learn techniques including Hot and Cold Transition Baths, Paraffin Wax Therapy, Icing, Wrist braces, Wearing gloves, Weight Training and Ergonomics. These are far more useful than popping ibuprofen  all the time. Keeping a Log Book with your daily entries on pain and what happened during the day, is a helpful step to take. Hand Massage and Relaxing Vacations come into play to help further your healing.

Do not hesitate seeing different hand therapists.  We had to try several before finding one that really helped us.

Books

Education through reading Carpal Tunnel Syndrome books or Books on RSI is very important. An educated patient will recover faster.

Lifestyle Modification

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Hand Pain recovery will require changes in how you drive, bike, or even watches and handbags. Any use of your hands will need to be examined and optimized to your new normal.

Work Changes

Computer Ergonomics are important to prevent further damage and to change work habits. Keyboards, input devices, chairs, desks, and other elements require attention.

Smartphones, iPads, and tablet computers contribute to your carpal tunnel or hand pain. Touchscreens with their swiping gestures, can cause undue hardship. Ergonomics and usage reduction are a must when using these evermore present devices.

We hope you find our experiences helpful in your recovery from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, RSI, or hand pain.  Please comment with your own experiences so others can benefit.

RSI Support Groups

There are many RSI support groups around the nation. I have attended the San Francisco RSI Support group and found it helpful. They have monthly sessions with knowledgeable speakers.

It is always great to learn new things, share tips with others, and realize that you are not alone in your recovery.