Carpal tunnel? Tendonitis? HELP!!

[Tor-K]

Hi everyone,
I have been doing massage for about a year and a half. Lately I've increased my workload for financial reasons, and it has been taking a toll on my body, specifically my forearms and hands. Last Thursday I lost mobility in my right hand. It's my thumb and all my fingers except my pinky, and they are very weak. They don't hurt, and aren't numb, but I can't pick things up, The only pain I have is in my hypothenar eminance, and it has been hurting since Wednesday so I was attempting to do some deep tissue to "help" it, and I seemed to have aggrivated it more to the point of causing some possible impingment on my medial nerve which I assume is why I can't move my fingers all that well. I was icing my entire arm up to my elbow for 3 days and taking ibuprofin, and wearing a wrist splint. I visited a doctor yesterday and he says he doesn't think it's carpal tunnel, but maybe tendonitis and just advised me to rest. Today I had a friend therapist work on my neck, back, shoulders and arm for a little over an hour. None of this has helped in the least and I have already missed almost a week of work. I need this to be fixed as I am getting more in debt as the days go by.
Anyone have any advice? :

 

[Moonlightheaven]

it sounds like tendonitis to me. your best bet is to lay off strokes with your injured side, and use it to support the other side. i tweaked my right hand earlier this week... thumb only, very weak. i disclosed my weakness to my clients and told them that it may feel different because i would not be able to perform certain strokes, but all would be massaged anyway. i was lucky; i could fist strokes with that hand, but not open hand or reverse strokes.

and yes, you probably aggrevated it when you did worked on it. there's not much more than you're already doing. maybe some reiki or acupuncture t102
i hope you feel better soon.

 

[Pompal 09.]

First of all sorry to hear about your injury. Second I was wondering were you are living because I am a massage therapist that is working at a Wellness Center in Philadelphia and we are doing a new form of treatment on people with carpal tunnel it is a combo of chiro, massage, and a machine called the hako-med(you can check out what the machine is and does at electromedicine.com) so if you are in our are please get in tuch. I hope you feel better.

 

[chickens]

thanks Mush...

Yeah, everyone says it will go away, but it hasn't improved, and it's moving into the 2nd week now. I just purchased Val Guin's Forearm Dance DVD to teach myself to stop using my hands so much. I practiced on a friend yesterday and it feels a litttle awkward. I really want to go back to work though. I may try some acupuncture today. Anyway, thanks for the advice!
:?

 

[Caryn]

Davegirl82....

Hi! Unfortunately for me I am in the LA area. I would have definitely been interested in trying that out if I were in Philly though! I may try acupuncture today and look into chiro....I just want it to get better cause right now, there's still no improvement. Thanks for your time!

 

[thinkingtime]

Have you tried myofascial release? Feel for the area that is the tightest, or most restricted, and then hold it gently but firmly - for 5 minutes.

It will almost certainly soften.

Good luck!

 

[breespectacular[:]

Well, the update to my last post is as follows:

Apparantly I very likely have PTS, a cousin of CTS, but the medial nerve is compressed by the pronator teres by the elbow, instead of by the wrist. I had acupuncture today and when she stuck the needle in by my elbow it felt like i had been struck by lightening---it went all the way through to my thumb and 3 gimpy fingers. My condition isn't any better yet, but she feels that it will improve with a few more days of rest and another session.
Has anyone had this? I have read online that it is pretty rare, unlike CTS. Unfortunately for some people, they are diagnosed with Carpal tunnel and have the surgery and later find out when it isn't better that it was really PTS all along.
I have also been advised to see a chiropractor. This could be costly for me as I am an independant contractor and don't have insurance. I only want to go if there's a decent chance that it would help. Any opinions on this?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Lamia]

if money's an issue, stick with massage trades and acupuncture + ice, biofreeze, etc.

hang in there...

p.s. it doesn't surprise me that needling these points would produce a strong reaction. this is where the energy is stuck.

 

[howtodeal2008]

Apparantly I very likely have PTS, a cousin of CTS, but the medial nerve is compressed by the pronator teres by the elbow, instead of by the wrist

Here's a recipe for massage self-treatment of the pronator teres. Use this picture to locate the general area of this muscle on your own arm. Hold your fingers on where you think the muscle is, and then pronate/supinate your hand back and forth. You'll feel the muscle contract, so you'll know you're in the right place. Press a little stronger on the muscle, and continue that motion, creating a massage effect on the muscle. Keep the pressure comfortable for yourself (it shouldn't be painful). Move your fingers to different locations on the muscle, so you're sure to massage the whole thing. Experiment with pronating/supinating your hand slowly vs. quickly, for different effects. You can also experiment between using your fingers or thumb to apply pressure. Do this treatment on yourself several times per day. It should help!

 

[shy gal]

Apparantly I very likely have PTS, a cousin of CTS, but the medial nerve is compressed by the pronator teres by the elbow, instead of by the wrist

Here's a recipe for massage self-treatment of the pronator teres. Use this picture to locate the general area of this muscle on your own arm. Hold your fingers on where you think the muscle is, and then pronate/supinate your hand back and forth. You'll feel the muscle contract, so you'll know you're in the right place. Press a little stronger on the muscle, and continue that motion, creating a massage effect on the muscle. Keep the pressure comfortable for yourself (it shouldn't be painful). Move your fingers to different locations on the muscle, so you're sure to massage the whole thing. Experiment with pronating/supinating your hand slowly vs. quickly, for different effects. You can also experiment between using your fingers or thumb to apply pressure. Do this treatment on yourself several times per day. It should help!

I'm so happy that I found this!!! The last two nights I have woken up with tingling/numbing in my palm and middle fingers. It is so annoying and frustrating. I've been plowing through all the CT posts and trying all the various stretches. I just followed the instructions for massaing pronator teres and my hand is feeling almost normal again. Phew!

Looks like it is time for an exchange with my coworkers. t023

Thanks so much for all the wonderful information.

 

[Kaykay034]

see ct thread

Hey CJ,
Take a look at the thread below this one. Its called something like Carpal tunel. There are some really great excersises listed there for ct and other problems.
Onewith

 

[Real Life]

forearm issues

Pronator teres is definitely a possibility. You will need to remove all fascial restrictions throughout the forearm, both flexors and extensors, especially brachioradialis, brachialis, pronator teres. Have your favorite chiropractor who is REALLY good check the alignment of your elbow. Ice and biofreeze are your friends. If you're still having trouble healing after a week of this, ( or 3 weeks total elapsed time) find yourself a DC or other doctor with a cold laser. It works at the cellular level to speed healing. If massage therapists were allowed to use them on clients, I'd happily fork over the 3000-6000 bucks that a good one costs.