OK, according to the neurologist, I have moderate CTS in both hands. The only time I notice any numbness is when she does the thing with the needle on my fingertips - I feel the needle but it doesn't feel sharp. The pain that I have is on the top part of my arm near the elbow and goes down between my thumb and forefinger.

Has anyone ever heard of someone having pain with CTS but not the numb, tingling etc?

I haven't had an EMG (new injury, just starting physical therapy). My physical therapist suspects my CTS is mild. My symptoms are pain and tingling in the hands and wrists, but no numbness.

What treatments have you tried? What have your drs suggested?


Marie

I've had the EMG, have been wearing splints at night and have done physical therapy.

My problem is that I question whether the pain I am having is related to CTS or if it is coming from the problem in my neck. I have a herniated disc and am having a lot of problems with it.

It is so confusing trying to figure out what to address first!

Are you sure it's not pushing on a nerve?

Curious, I am sure the herniation is putting pressure on the nerve root - the big question is which one is causing the pain in my arm, the carpal tunnel or the herniation. I decided to go ahead with the appointment tomorrow with the hand specialistand see what he says. Honestly, I am so confused and so frustrated with this! It has taken years to get someone to listen and now it looks like two different problems are in the mix. Part of me just doesn't want to deal with it at all - just live with it. I know that's not an answer either - makes it very difficult to take care of a houseful of little ones! LOL

I don't mind the idea of surgery for the Carpal tunnel, but I don't want to do it if it isn't the CTS causing the pain.

I'd give anything for a crystal ball that would tell me the way to go about all this!

When I had the EMG, they not only checked nerves in hands, but also checked to see if there was problem with nerve conduction from upper extremity area. That would give clue as to whether it might be from compression on nerve in neck causing the problem rather than compression at wrist.

I have had carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands for 17 years, which came about due to being a fast typist working under pressure day in and day out for years. The first symptoms that I noticed was waking up in the night, with a numb arm/arms, thinking I had just laid on my arms and cut the blood supply off, I ignoured it, until it was happening most evenings (during colder periods) I realised it was more than a coincidence. Carpal tunnel is inflamation around the carpal tunnel in the hand, when you are resting in bed the inflammation builds up at that time, which then causes the numbness. As well as numbness I was waking up in terrific pain down my arms, but not as far as my shoulders, when I got out of bed shaking my arm/arms around, eventually the numbness and pain subsides, leaving tingling pins and needles in some or all fingers! As I said these were the symptoms I was getting before diagnosis, I have since had an operation on my left hand to relieve the carpal tunnel, but still have the problem in the other hand. The only problem with not dealing with carpal tunnel that I know of, is if you leave it for years, before having an operation, they say it may not completly rid you 100% of the symptons. Well I had my left hand done fifteen years after diagnosis, with a complete success. I will get my other hand done one day.

With carpal tunnel syndrome, you normally notice numbness, pain, tingling etc more so when it wakes you up in the night, with all the years I have had it, I don't really recall any problems in the daytime, apart from rarely if watching tv and it is cold, I get slight pins and needles, which causes no problem really.

With your symptons they don't really seem to match, have you thought about tendernitus,trapped nerve, going to an osteopath. Also ask your doctor for a referral for an electrical test carried out at hospitals, where they put electrical pulses through your fingers which runs through the carpal tunnel area, which is what is used to properly diagnose.

I hope this has helped a little bit.

Curious, I am sure the herniation is putting pressure on the nerve root - the big question is which one is causing the pain in my arm, the carpal tunnel or the herniation. I decided to go ahead with the appointment tomorrow with the hand specialistand see what he says. Honestly, I am so confused and so frustrated with this! It has taken years to get someone to listen and now it looks like two different problems are in the mix. Part of me just doesn't want to deal with it at all - just live with it. I know that's not an answer either - makes it very difficult to take care of a houseful of little ones! LOL

I don't mind the idea of surgery for the Carpal tunnel, but I don't want to do it if it isn't the CTS causing the pain.

I'd give anything for a crystal ball that would tell me the way to go about all this!
I feel like you. I have deginerated disc and bone spur in my cervical spine. Doc wants me to have a series of 3 epidural cortizone shots in my neck, he said it is a pinched nerve. I have shoulder pain that comes and goes. I have elbow pain just like tennis elbow, that I did have last summer, went to PT and resolved it. Doc says I no longer have tennis elbow even I still feel the pain in my elbow. Top of my arm is soooo sore from elbow to almost my wrist. When I tell the doctor I think the tennis elbow is back he said. "Well is it too hard for you to believe that you have two things going on at the same time?" I just wish I knew if it were TE or if the elbow part is from my neck also. I would like you to write back and say if you had to surgery or what is going on with you now.

I had cts surgery last year for both hands. I had one done in July and one in October. My doctor showed me a place around my collar bone that if you have pain there it's part of the cts. The nerve doesn't just end when it gets to your shoulder. If you are having neck pain, then it could be putting pressure on the median nerve as it goes over to your collar bone. Put a finger on the base of your throat. Now go over about 2 inches. That's where he said it was. I did have some pulling or dull pain there from time to time. Now I don't.
-Jo

OK, according to the neurologist, I have moderate CTS in both hands. The only time I notice any numbness is when she does the thing with the needle on my fingertips - I feel the needle but it doesn't feel sharp. The pain that I have is on the top part of my arm near the elbow and goes down between my thumb and forefinger.

Has anyone ever heard of someone having pain with CTS but not the numb, tingling etc?
has your wrist splint at night helped at all?