Carpal tunnel

[Anthroman]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience, suggestions, or knowledge in dealing with and alleviating pain/discomfort from carpal tunnel syndrome. Thanks alot
Anthroman

[Gargoyle again]

This is something that you should really ask a doctor/therapist about, not martial artists :)

But for what it's worth, I spend a lot (10 hours a day) of time at work on keyboards, and I had a lot of problems with CTS. The hand and wrist exercises I've done in kung fu have improved things 100%. I occaisonally get "tired" hands at the keyboard now, but all other symptoms and discomfort are gone. I've also noticed that if I stop the hand exercises or get lazy for a month or so, the CTS symptoms start cropping up again.

"You should never, never doubt what no one is sure about."
--Willie Wonka

[nospam]

I assume your carpal tunnel problems arise out of your work? Tell us a bit of what you do and when it is effected the worst. But seeking professional assistance is obviously key.

[Ross]

There are lots of web based patient education forums. If you type carpal tunnel into a search engine you can usually find lots of appopriate sites. If you can't find anything appropriate you can e-mail me and I can provide some information re diagnosis/treatment.

Problem with this, as in many patient complaints,
the title carpal tunnel is often given to a number of conditions. Syndrome means a collection of signs and symptoms but does not indicate a specific condition. See how things work out and send me a note if you like.

Cheers, R

[Anthroman]

The type of work I do is archaeology, alot of digging and sifting, in cold weather right now.
Fortunately I'll probably only be doing this for another week or so. I have been to a doctor, on workmens comp(since I have no insurance), and he said I definately have carpal tunnel. Basically all he said for treatment was to take vitamin b6 and use splints while I rest and work. I was hoping someone else might have some advice or treatment they could recommend me. I have been doing research on it, and there is alot of differing opinions out there. Thank you for anyone who has offered to respond and give advice.
Anthroman

[iamaloser]

If you're studying any martial arts, you may already be doing exercises that alleviate the problems of CTS. These exercises are especially used in Chin Na and other grappling martial arts because of the very nature of the style. Since Chin Na, Aikido, etc. deal with grabbing, holding, throwing, submissions, the dexterity and nimbleness of the the hands, fists, fingers, etc. is extremely important and therefore appropriate exercises in those styles are common. Many books exist that demonstrate simple hand and finger exercises. You can try checking out books on Chin Na and other related books and should be simple enough to do on your own.