GP sent me here for CTS after A and E diagnose same.
I have been sent here for problems with my right wrist that are getting worse quite quickly.
It started about 8 weeks ago, maybe more of lesser symptoms, but has now moved to almost constant pain and aches around wrist, thumb, index and middle finger and base of hand. I get quite a lot of periods where numbness causes issues with waking me up as well as weird tingling feelings.
I struggle with normal daily things like getting dressed, opening bottles etc, and these things seem to be getting worse.
I have tried a variety of pain killers, wrist splinting, rest and physio, but to no avail. I would be glad of some help to make things improve.
Regards
Stuart
Good morning.
There was no specific injury/trauma to cause it, it seems to have come on gradually over a period of time. Starting with small aches and electric shock type feelings through the thumb and wrist area, but now progressing into the middle finger/index finger. I get quite a lot of weakness through thee areas affected, and things seem to be getting more painful/difficult quite quickly at the moment.
I have always had a high amount of computer use, since about the age of 7/8, continuing now on a large scale.
I have tried splinting through the night for the last two weeks and found no benefit to be honest, if anything, i find things more painful with the splint on. I have tried anti-inflammatories and pain killers, total rest, physio based exercise programmes to support he wrist, splints etc.
I am not sure how accurate 8 weeks is, as i have said, it started quite slowly and i put it down to general computer use over the years and as a general episode of pain, but things have developed quite fast over the last 8 weeks to the stage where it is spreading to effect other areas and affecting daily life quite significantly.
I have only been directed here as an A and E doctor felt this was CTS as it the history was not tendonitis in their opinion.
I am not sure how previous and current problems relate but i have a long standing back problem with quite advanced arthritis (for my age) so i am told.
A&E is not going to be much use for this I think. The best clinic is likely to be the specialist hand clinic where they can deal with a wide range of hand problems, including CTS of course but I supsect that is not the right diagnosis. Ask your GP for a hand clinic referral. JB
It was the GP who referred me here in the first place, but i can say that you have said to go this route now.
Neither GP nor A&E are necessarily very discriminating about hand problems. It used to be the case that of all GP direct access referrals to me for possible CTS about 45% did not have it. Since we started looking at the symptoms in detail before accepting referrals we have managed to greatly improve that and we are managing to concentrate the resources of the CTS clinic much more on people who do have CTS. I'm still reviewing the way the system works, wondering how I can capture the occasional patient with very atypical symptoms who does turn out to have CTS but those patients throw up all sorts of other questions anyway so there is something to be said for them seeing an expert hand surgeon rather than a neurophysiologist. JB
It doesn't sound very like CTS from the questionaire answers, thoughh it's not impossible. Was there any apparent reason for it to begin - injury, new job or hobby etc? If we are going to look for CTS 8 weeks is a bit too early for testing except in the context of an acute injury. You should probably try splinting it at night for a few weeks to see if that makes any difference too (see the Treatment/Splinting page) JB