Carpal Tunnel and Trigger Finger
I had open Carpal Tunnel Surgery about 7 years ago with fabulous results! On August 12, 2014, I went to work in a Fiberglass Mold Factory. I use my hands all day, grinding, using electric sanders, hand held filers, utility knives, etc. My GP states I have osteoarthritis in mainly in my right hand knuckles.
Since starting work at this factory my CTS has come back, and seems a lot more sever than 7 years ago. Also I have developed since the factory, Trigger Finger in my Right Hand on the middle and ring finger. My doctor gave me a brace to wear for on week, only to take off while showering, and put me on MethyIPREDNIsolone Tablets, 4 MG Dosepk, this morning was my last pill. When I woke up this morning, both my middle finger and my ring finger were curled into my palm,... It took about an hour and a half to straighten out! My thumb is also very numb the whole thumb down into the palm.
My question is... Does this sound like my Carpal Tunnel has returned, and can they do Trigger Finger Surgery, at the same time as Carpal Tunnel Surgery? Has anyone on here had this happen to them? My hand is quite painful! I could not go to work today, and missed 4 days last week! Thanks!
Thank you for the reply! I forgot to mention I do have an appointment with the same orthopedic surgeon who did my CTS surgery 7 years ago. It's on Monday... I just wonder as much pain as I am in, can any of this be arthritis Osteao or Rhuematoid? Both of my hands joints and wrists hurt, but the right hand is much more painful. Thank you.
Arthritis is common and painful and so yes, it is also possible that a part of the problem is arthritic. Hopefully your surgeon is a hand specialist who can sort out the various possible diagnoses. JB
CTS and trigger finger are linked in some way - if you have the inbuilt predisposition to one then you are more likely to get the other. There is a page of this site devoted to the topic. It is also possible that the new job has precipitated a further episode of CTS - it is rare for it to come back after surgery but not unknown and this may be commoner with heavy manual occupations though there is not enough epidemiological data to be sure about that.
Trigger finger and CTS can be treated together. Both respond to local steroid injections and surgery but I would consider both combined treatment of trigger digit with CTS, and just treatment of recurrent CTS in itself to be sufficiently complex problems that they really require the attentions of a specialist hand surgeon, let alone dealing with both together, so I would definitely advise getting a hand surgery referral which ought to be expedited if there is some danger of you losing your job. JB