Have any of you looked.... - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Message Board

littlelulu1937 · 06-24-2003, 06:06 PM

into the possibility that your CT symtoms are caused by "knots" in muscles far, far away from your hands & wrists? Frequently this problem originates in your scalene muscles, which are three or four small muscles on each side of your neck causing "referred pain, including numbness, burning, joint stiffness, weakness,etc. in your wrists & fingers. It seems to me a shame to have surgery somplace when the source is elsewhere & possibly fixable without it. I'd sure check out doing some "trigger point therapy" at all conceivable spots for your condition before undergoing any knife.

ShelbyS · 06-25-2003, 08:04 AM

Hey there,
You must be a physical therapist. I have a PT friend that recommended the same thing (good advice)...I had the Ortho evaluate it and the EMG confirmed the nerve damage taking place. I had surgery 1 week ago and can already feel the difference and my fingers aren't sticking (trigger finger) any more ~ in spite of the swelling I had from the surgery. I must admit...as horrible as the testing was for me; I wouldn't have proceeded with the surgery if my EMG results and the second opinion wouldn't have come back positive for surgical neccessity. Great advice and I hope others take it into consideration.
ShelbyS

littlelulu1937 · 06-25-2003, 10:06 AM

Actually I'm not a PT---from a past experience, I don't even like them! I would rather suggest a Certified Massage Therapist (I'm not one either) who really is knowledgeable in the "trigger point" area & is willing to teach their clients how to work on their particular pain points themselves at home. Otherwise, there are a couple of recent books, geared to the layperson, that have fabulous info on myofascial pain relief. My pain was actually lower back & knee, but any joint & muscle pain is applicable to this therapy. I got amazing results just from reading & doing & didn't even go to a Massage Therapist.

NancyH · 06-25-2003, 10:40 PM

Hey I took that route, spent a great deal of time going to the CMT and PT and both agreed with the results of my EMG and NCV that surgery was the only way. I had one in 2000 and it worked great but the left hand is another story, while banging around going to PT and CMT the wrist accumulated a whole bunch of scar tissue that had to be removed at the wrist, it has been slow but if I had it back in 2000 like the other hand it wouldn't have gotten to that point. I still go to the CMT now as well as PT, since they both offer different methods of treatment that are beneficial to my condition. I was high risk as it was do to my cervical spondylosis and nerve disease.

littlelulu1937 · 06-26-2003, 12:30 AM

Nancy: Are you going to a CMT who is very well-versed on trigger point therapy? I gave my husband a gift of a massage therapy session for his birthday in May with a clinic with 20 CMT's on staff & only two of them could be recommended by the manager as being expert in this field (I specifically asked for this expertise when I made the appointment).

Perhaps your particular case & health situation didn't lend itself to trigger point therapy as an alternative to surgery or perhaps much earlier intervention would have made a difference. At any rate, I surely wish you well on any upcoming
surgery. Having had horrendous knee, & to a much lesser extent back, pain in the last few months (both thankfully gone thanks to TP massage), I know it aint fun to live that way.