Carpal Tunnel?

[Texan38]

Oh, I hope not but my right wrist is really hurting. It started yesterday morning and kept moving my wrist around all day at work. At around 1:30 this morning, the pain in my wrist woke me up and it would hurt with any slight movement so sad to say, I didn't get much sleep and I know I'm going to be grouchy today at work! I'm really hoping it's not carpal tunnel but more than likely it is. I've been doing data entry for about 20 years now. So I guess it was only a matter of time and even typing this is hurting! Well, it's a good thing I'm left handed!
Crap! This is so not what I want for Christmas! 

[Ann]

Hi Tex,

It sounds like this came on awfully quick and strong - are you sure you haven't injured yourself, rather than CT? CT usually develops over time. You might want to see a doc and get it x-rayed, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck, hope it feels better for you soon. I had CT in my left wrist years ago and it was no fun at all.

Ann

[David_CA]

I agree with Ann in that it seems to have come on quickly... maybe you've been working that wrist too much doing things other than typing...   

I thought I was starting to have repetitive stress issues from keyboard and mouse use.  I started using my left hand (for the mouse) and changed my seating position a bit.  I sit up a bit straighter, bend my wrists less, etc.  I Googled something like 'correct posture keyboard' and kind of followed what I found.  The pain started in my fingers and went up through my wrists.  The biggest culprit in my case was my bent wrists when typing.  Since the changes, the pain just disappeared.  Google 'carpal tunnel symptoms' and you'll get lots of good information.  The biggest culprit, in my case, was my bent wrists when typing.  Good luck with it.

David

[red_Dragon888]

You should get a manicure with a good hand massage.  Maybe someone at work knows a good manicure place. 

also,
http://www.ehow.com/how_2088363_use-exercises-carpal-tunnel-syndrome.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

[Seadickrun]

In the last two weeks, my right wrist has also been hurting a lot.  Then I realized that I quit sitting at my desk to surf the net and have moved the wireless keyboard and mouse to the couch and changed my wrist angle.  I put a couple of pillows underneath the mouse and that made a huge difference. There have been other times as well in the last couple of years that I would "suddenly" notice pain in the right wrist but that usually was due to changing my chair from the upright position to the slightly reclined position, which again changed wrist angle.  And if I spend time on a new video game with that mouse clicking away, again, pain. 

Can you take a break for a couple of days?  Maybe review your seat-to-desk-to-mouse setup? 

[Texan38]

Thank you so much for the advise! Can you believe nobody at work knows how to do manicures?! One of the girls did give me a hand massage but it hurt soo bad, I told her to stop. I called my Doctor and spoke to his nurse, she advised me to go in and see him this afternoon. My supervisor was great. She told me not to enter any data (so I'm typing this as she is out of the office). I'm going to do some of those exercises tips and also do some adjustments to see if that helps...but the pain is really just getting worse.
We'll see what the Doc says....OH, and it's snowing here!...in El Paso! Doesn't happen that often. This is a desert city, so snow is a rarity!

[Oceanbeach]

Hey Mark,

One thing you can do for the time being is take short breaks during data entry sessions, relax and stretch both hands and shake them a couple of seconds before resuming work.  Try to change your positioning so your fingers rest over the keyboard instead of reaching up to it.  If you don't already have one of those ergonomic hand rests at your keyboard, get one and change your seating position periodically. 

You know those folks who do data entry at banks like, Bank of America?  They are taken off the job, every two hours to test their accuracy and when they test under 10,000 keystrokes per hour, they are sent home for the remainder of their shift.  Your job for the rest of the day is... go play in the snow (on your way to see the doctor)    Have the best day
Michael

[red_Dragon888]

Thank you so much for the advise! Can you believe nobody at work knows how to do manicures?! One of the girls did give me a hand massage but it hurt soo bad, I told her to stop. I called my Doctor and spoke to his nurse, she advised me to go in and see him this afternoon. My supervisor was great. She told me not to enter any data (so I'm typing this as she is out of the office). I'm going to do some of those exercises tips and also do some adjustments to see if that helps...but the pain is really just getting worse.
We'll see what the Doc says....OH, and it's snowing here!...in El Paso! Doesn't happen that often. This is a desert city, so snow is a rarity!

sorry for your pain but i am glad you'd stop the massage when it was painful.  i am glad you are seeing a professional and maybe taking a warm bath might help.

[Texan38]

I went to see my Doctor yesterday. When walked into the room, he extended his arm for a hand shake and I lifted my right arm and said, "Sorry, Doc, can't shake your hand. That's why I'm here. Hopefully it's not carpal tunnel." He took my right hand and was looking at it. Then he took his other strong, masculine hand and lifted my left hand. As he held both my hands, I looked into his gorgeous, blue eyes and imagined him slowly lowering my hands while began to move closer to me, when suddenly....he bent my right wrist and the pain just snapped me out of it! He asked me if I had any, numbness or tingling and I said no. He asked if I had ever had gout before. I said no. He asked if I eat an abundance of meats and rich foods and I said, "Of course! It's the holidays!". He said it seems that it is gout. It usually happens happens in the knees, ankles or big toes but he has seen cases where it happens in the wrists. He had the nurse draw blood for uric acid, prescribed anti-inflammitory and some other medication. He said that if the uric acid returns with a result of 6 or more, then it's positive for gout and he would prescribe another medication and I would need to speak to a nutritionist to discuss my diet.
BUT if the uric acid comes back normal, it's possible it could be CT but he doesn't think that's likely.
<SIGH> diet......

[red_Dragon888]

good luck

[Longislander]

I hope it's not gout, and if it is, I hope it gets under control quickly. I understand it to be pretty painful.

I love your stories of your doctor visits tho-

Paul

[Texan38]

It seems it is gout. I'm not the healthiest eater and I do eat a lot of meat. I'm a meat and tatos kinda guy.

Ooohh, and I love seeing my doctor. That man just hurts me bad in a real good way! 

[red_Dragon888]

all well that ends well

[Oceanbeach]

Ooohh, and I love seeing my doctor. That man just hurts me bad in a real good way! 

Just out of curiosity... Have you had a Prostate Exam recently?    Have the best day
Michael

[Texan38]

Well, after seeing my doctor, the redness and swelling has gone down...and in my wrist too! 
In such a short time, the medication my Doctor prescribed has been working great! Since it happened on my right wrist, I've never been so happier being left handed! 
I've heard stories about carpal tunnel and how after surgery, the hands are just never the same. I was nervous there at first but as said earlier....

all well that ends well

Oh, and Michael, that's a whole other fantasy right there!