Doctor Hive: Could this be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I've had pain in my fingertips for days.  It's primarily in my index finger, but sometimes my thumb and third fingertips join in.  Also, the region at the base of those fingers shout out occasionally.  The pain feels like an insect bite (spider, or ant), but I haven't been bit.  It's mostly just in the first segment of each finger, hurts when I squeeze it, but the index finger especially hurts all the time.  

 

I was knitting like crazy leading up to Christmas (enough to throw my back (between my shoulder blades) into spasm, so I'm thinking I could have caused a flare-up up in my carpal tunnel as well.  But, I've never had this pain before, so I'm not sure.  Most of the descriptions I read sound more like pins and needles or "foot asleep" feelings, and this isn't like that.  It more like plain old pain.  

 

Any experience or advice to share?  What treatments work (short of surgery)?  

 

TIA,

Suzanne

[EmilyGF]

I thought I had carpal tunnel, but it was really a pinched nerve in my neck. It was diagnosed and treated by a PT by massage in 35 minutes. I am now 90% pain free. 

 

If the symptoms are new, I suggest you get a professional opinion. It turns out what I was doing, my earlier CT treatment, was totally useless!

[Kiara.I]

Try the book Pain Free by Pete Egoscue.  Your local library might have it.  It contains exercises which are of the "can't hurt, might help" variety, and the whole book focuses on the idea that most joint pain (and associated tingling, numbness, etc.) is caused by musculo-skeletal misalignment.  So the exercises are to correct the alignment, and are not huff-and-puff type, but more lying on the floor in specific positions.

 

For a preview of two that are associated with wrist issues:

Standing Elbow Curls

Wall Clock

[Garga]

My husband has a pinched nerve in his neck and his thumb is completely numb and his index finger is effected as well.

 

I'm no doctor, but if you recently had a neck issue, your finger issues could be related to that. The neck part of the spine is where the nerves from your fingers go on their way to the brain. Doctors can tell what part of the spine has been affected by what other parts of the body are having nerve troubles. The pathway is messed up at the spine.

 

If I were you, I'd go to a doctor. If it's a neck thing you can learn some basic exercises from a PT and get this fixed.

 

If it's carpal tunnel, when I had a bout of carpal tunnel I did an exercise where you place your palms together, just like praying, and hold them there for a bit. It opens up the tunnel to help the pain go away. My pain went away after a week or two of doing that prayer position with my hands a few times a day.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I was mainly asking to find out if CTS ever causes pain like mine, or if it usually causes only numbness or tingling.

 

My back problems were farther down my back — a big knot between my shoulder blades. It's gone now. I don't think the two are directly related, though both may have been caused by excessive knitting. My massage therapist explained that knots there are caused by holding your arms out in front of you for extended periods. I also get them when I spend too much time at the computer. I'm thinking my arm position caused the knots in my rhomboid muscles, and my flexed wrist/extended index finger position may have caused this pain in my fingers.

 

I do plan on getting a diagnosis if simple stretches and rest from knitting don't help. I like exercises of the "won't hurt-might help" variety. If I can get rid of this pain without committing a lot of time waiting to be seen, hanging out at the doctor's office, going for tests, and going to therapy, I consider that a win. Of course, if it turns out that I need some PT and/or a short course of NSAIDs, so be it.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[zoobie]

CTS can cause pain, as can tendonitis. As can pinched nerves and neck/shoulder issues. If it's affecting daily activities, I'd go on in to the doctor. A cortisone shot can give pretty immediate relief, and it's a good idea to reduce the swelling quickly to avoid long/longer term nerve damage. I wouldn't think a good hand guy would need to perform many diagnostic tests beyond palpating the area before an injection trial. Surgery, yes. A really good chiropractor may be able to help, but there are really bad chiropractors who would make it worse. (If it's a nerve issue originating in the neck/shoulder area.)

[Garga]

When I say my DH has pain in his "neck" it's actually between the shoulder blades. Sorry, I wasn't clear. That part of the spine is somehow associated with the "neck" part of the spine. Those vertebrae are labeled with a "C" while the lower part of the back is labeled with an "L". And that's ALL the knowledge I have about it.

 

When I had carpal tunnel, my wrist hurt and my fingers tingled like being asleep.

 

DH has pain radiating down the arm into the fingers with his neck issues. It feels a bit like electrical shocks.

 

If I had your issues, I'd do the palm together things for 2 weeks. If nothing changes in 2 weeks, I'd go to a dr to see if it was a neck related thing. Exercises are usually the first option for things like that--not surgery.