Hi: My CTS symptoms began about 6 years ago. For the first five years, it only involved my hands falling to sleep at night & infrequently when i was driving or something like that. I never had pain until last summer. The pain was initially excrutiating, but after wearing the splints for a while it got a little better.

I'm scheduled for surgery on both hands on Friday. Am now wondering if I've permanent nerve damage that can't be corrected by the surgery given that I had this problem for so long. Thanks, Tina

I have had surgery on both hands but I was diagnosised with severe CTS. They were swelled so bad I could barely drive, the pain was so bad it was waking me up every two hours at night in terrible pain, and both hands were completely numb. I was using icy hot, soaking them in epsom salt, taking advil every two hours, and wearing the splints 24 hours a day. The NCV/EMG study said the medium nerve was completely pinched off in both hands and I wound up with permanent damage. I think its according how bad the nerve is pinched off wait and see after the surgery and therapy then if you are still having problems have them do a Functional Caplability Evaluation and you will get and Impairment rating if there is permanent damage. Mine has returned and I have moderate CTS now. My employer had changed my job as I could no longer do that type of work. I still got it again. In the FCE I had a 42% impairment rating and now with an MRI I also have hernaited Disk between C3 and C6. Take care of your hands you really don't know what to do with out full use of them. I hope you will gain back full use. Take care and let us know how it turns out. God Speed http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif Bama

Thank you all for being here. It's hard for others to understand how hard living with CTS is, and how the world tries to tell you tough luck, find another job-they don't want to take responsibility for causing the condition. I don't know the laws in every state, but I did see that one can seek retaliatory damages at least in Illinois, if you are terminated due to this condition. Check www.carpal-tunnel.com. (http://www.carpal-tunnel.com.) When I started having severe syptoms in March; swelling, cramping, loss of sleep due to pain, etc., I really had no clue what I was letting myself into. The sobs at the ins. co.(boss' comp.) tried to frighten me away-and that got me good and angry and helped me to the next level-seek out an attorney. Had I not, I would not have been able to receive any therapy, etc, and could not have survived the agony. It's not over but at least the case is moving forward. I have a pretrial compensation hearing the end of the month, and suddenly the insurance company is accepting my claim, after denying me any benefits for the last 6 months. I had to continue working-switching to a lesser job and smaller paycheck just to live, and am pretty certain I will not be able to return to my regular job after the pending surgery(both arms) and intend to push for every option available which I hope will include retraining for a different job--I imagine had I been able to rest my arms, etc., therapy may have helped more. I can sleep through the night-with wrist splints of course, but that in itself is a big plus. Don't give up-that's what the insurance buzzards and employers are hoping for-that you and your problems will disappear. Maybe we can give each other the support and strength to beat the odds and bring this problem to the forefront....