Splints

I'll ask the chap whose research project it is to contact you, and yes we run the treatment sessions for it at the end of the working day/early evening. JB

Hi Doctor Bland
I decided against the experiments but am still wearing the splints at night, they are helping a bit at night but I am still having all the pain and numbness during the day.
Can you suggest what I should do now?
Many Thanks

Julie Wanstall

The next logical thing to try would be local steroid injection. We can do this for you in the carpal tunnel clinic on Thursday morning or I can put you in touch with the SIPC office who can arrange for a GP somewhere around AShford to do it for you - not necessarily your own GP. JB

If you could put me in touch with the SIPC office to arrange to have it done in Ashford that would be great. Would it be possible to have it done at my own Doctors which is Kingsnorth Medical Centre.

Many thanks

Julie

You would have to ask the SIPC office where it can be done - one of the things that refuses to stick in my memory is which GPs are where. There are at present about a dozen GPs who I trust to do the injection correctly and to provide me with the right follow-up information afterwards. I will amend your records tomorrow morning to reflect this conversation and you can then call the SIPC office to arrange injection - the phone numbers are in the contact page. JB

Hello Dr. Bland
I have an appointment to have the injection in my right hand on Friday 9th November at Charing Surgery.
I will let you know how I get on.

Many thanks

Julie

Thanks for letting me know. I often have only a vague idea of when injections are being booked but it looks as though yours was about a 2 week wait - not too bad. Ideally I think we should be able to offer an almost 'walk-in' service for steroid injection for CTS - it is such a simple thing to do -- perhaps an issue for later iterations of the local CTS care pathway. JB

Hello Dr Bland
Just keeping you updated on my inections on Friday. Dr. Warrilow at Charing Surgey made me feel very relaxed and I had every confidence in him. He advised me to still wear the splints at night and that I wouldn't see any difference until about Monday. He will review my condition after 3 months. I will keep you updated.
Regards
Julie

Most people seem to feel the effect of injection within about 48hours so Monday should cover it. A few people improve after a few weeks - I'm not sure whether that's the steroids or just them getting better anyway. It is worth carrying on with splints until the symptoms settle. The review is supposed to be at 6 weeks post injection. JB

It is now almost 2 weeks since having my injections in both wrists, I am really feeling an improvement, I don't get the pins and needles whilst holding objects or reading. I do have some numbness in the mornings but not for long and some pain in the thumbs down to the wrist now and again but nothing like I was having before.

I have my review with Dr. Warrilow on the 21st December.

Julie

Sounds fairly satisfactory so far. It's quite helpful to have the serial updates on progress thankyou. It's a degree of detailed follow-up which is not possible through conventional appointment systems and reviews. JB

Hello Dr Bland

I had my review today, really successful, still getting some numbness in my hands at night but doesn't last for long, the pain in my thumb apparently is something different and Dr Warrilow said I could have an injection for it but to think about it as it is quite an uncomfortable injection. He advised me to rub in some ibuprofen gel and see how it goes. I don't need to see him anymore but wants me to let you know if there is any change.
Julie

That's fine, you can stay in touch with me through this forum as much and as long as you like - at least as far as CTS is concerned, I don't really know much about treating anything else! JB