I suppose I should’ve recognized that sooner or later, I’d start to show symptoms of age beyond mere grey hairs and facial lines that can be hidden by modern technology. And I should’ve also recognized that by the time she was my age, Maman had already been suffering from arthritis for years, and my mother had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome before she turned 50. So it really wasn’t a surprise that I developed one of them (I suspect it’s arthritis, because it’s in both hands even though I’m a one-finger typist), but what was a surprise was how rapid the onset was. Before the summer started, I’d never had any persistent symptoms (though now I’m wondering about the occasional spasms I’ve had in my right hand for years), but a little over a month ago my hand started hurting too much to ignore, so last week I bought one of these braces and it’s definitely helping. In fact, no sooner did I start wearing this on my right hand while working, than my left hand started hurting just as badly. It seems a reasonable assumption that my left hand was probably hurting before and I simply didn’t notice it because the pain in my right hand was much worse; with the brace alleviating the right-hand pain, I was able to notice that in the left. And that makes me wonder if perhaps I’ve actually had this problem for some time, and what changed recently was that the pain finally reached a level I couldn’t ignore. I have a very high threshhold of pain, and now I’m beginning to wonder how much of that is due to the way I’m wired, and how much due to a stubborn refusal to let pain distract me from whatever it is I want to do.
Diary #631
August 2, 2022 by Maggie McNeill
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Hi Maggi, I value your consistent commitment to responsible freedom, thanks for that. Go here for Chlorine Dioxide if you have not tried it, it may do away with the cause of your problems, hope it works for you. Keep safe and free. https://www.brighteon.com/channels/curiousoutlier
Niacin might help
I deal with the same hand issue by switching to a voice to text PC program for most mundane typing and some much longer works. It takes a while getting accustomed to it, but made a huge difference.
Now if i can only detox myself from tearing into car repairs and other mechanical things …
I am not a physician, and I don’t play one on TV or the internet.
However, I have known people with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and people with arthritis. The symptoms you report are much more consistent with the CTS my friend experienced.
My friend with CTS was a builder. He spent his days using both hands to grip and hold tools and materials he worked with. You have spent considerable time doing the same.
There are some simple tests to distinguish CTS fairly accurately.
You may wish to try the simplest test, the Phelan test, and see what you experience.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalen_maneuver
A physician can make a definitive diagnosis.
If your condition is CTS, the braces you describe can relieve it. There is also surgery that relieves it.
Negative on both versions of the test. As for surgery…LOL! That costs way more money than I have or am likely to have at any point between now and my departure for the Styx. .
I’m not too surprised by the negatives on the Phalen test.
It’s better than flipping a coin, but it can give false results.
You deserve a definitive diagnosis for such a painful condition, in order to take the best measures to alleviate it.
A competent physician can diagnose your condition much more accurately than a simple layman’s test.
Regardless of whether it is arthritis or CTS, taking measures prescribed by a physician sooner is better than later.
As to the surgery for CTS, it is a fast procedure, done in physician’s office, usually each hand on a separate visit. As surgery goes, it is not expensive.
But the most important thing is to get a definitive diagnosis, whether CTS or arthritis.
I wish you the best.
Maggie, do try Chlorine Dioxide (1 to 1 mix of 22-28% Sodium Chlorite and 4% Hydrochloric Acid), persons with arthritis have had success with this. It is very cheap and very safe so long as you follow the protocols and do not take too much. Go here for testimonials https://mmstestimonials.co/arthritis . I know many sound like born-agains, but go beyond that, check out the science, use it as I do and see the results.