Hi Julie-

Thanks for the advice! It backs up my fears about surgery, and gives
me hope on an alternative method.

I will follow up on what you have said. Give me a few days to digest
it. I am a slow learner sometimes.

Thanks again.
sincerely,
-Tom


--- In repetitivestrain@yahoogroups.com, Julie Donnelly <julie@a...>
wrote:
> Hi Tom,
>
> The very last thing you should ever go for is surgery. We have met
several
> people lately who have had serious problems from surgery including
one young
> woman who had the nerve accidently cut during surgery, so she lost
all
> sensation to her thumb and two fingers, and then scar tissue formed
around
> the other two nerves and she now has no sensation in her wrist or
entire
> hand!
>
> Consider this, the nerve that gives sensation to the thumb and two
fingers,
> the median nerve, originates in the neck. It crosses under some
very
> powerful muscles in the neck and chest (this is the muscle that is
causing
> you to have the CTS sensation when you cough), then the biceps
muscle, and
> all the muscles of the forearm. The muscles on the underside of
your
> forearm, called the flexors, have 9 tendons. These tendons and the
median
> nerve all pass through the carpal tunnel. When the muscles are
tight they
> pull the tendons taut, and trap the nerve in the tunnel.
>
> To complicate the issue, the muscle of your thumb originates on the
ligament
> that is the bridge to the carpal tunnel. When this muscle is in
spasm (it
> is for most people because it can't be stretched) it pulls down on
the
> ligament and causes pressure on the median nerve.
>
> Finally, the muscles of the top of your forearm, called the
extensors,
> insert at the wrist and top of your fingers. When they are tight
they pull
> on the base of the carpal tunnel and cause it to change dimensions,
again
> trapping the nerve within the tunnel.
>
> In ALL of these cases, you don't need surgery, you simply need to
release
> the tight muscles that are pressing down on the nerve!
>
> Try this stretch: put your flat hands together, as if you were
praying.
> keep you shoulders relaxed and then bring your arms so they are
horizontal
> to the desk. That is a stretch for the flexors. To stretch the
extensors,
> I suggest you look in a mirror because it is natural for your
shoulders to
> raise. Place the backs of your hands together, making sure your
shoulders
> are relaxed. Next, bring your wrists up and drop your elbows (your
elbows
> should be lower than your wrists). This is the stretch that most
people
> can't do well, and it is one of the keys to resolving this problem.
>
> I suggest you take a look at www.aboutcts.com and, after reading
the Home
> Page, go to the Anatomy Lessons section. It will explain all that
I've been
> telling you, but it will use graphics that really help to explain
the
> situation.
>
> The most important thing is to not get discouraged. I had CTS that
was so
> severe I couldn't pick up a glass or open a door. Now it is
totally gone.
> You can get rid of it also - it's Repetitive Strain Injury, which
means, a
> muscle is being strained - not a nerve! You can release muscles.
>
> Wishing you well,
> Julie
> Release "aches & pains" in your muscles and joints. You are your
own best
> therapist!
> Visit www.julstro.com and find common sense answers.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ctsguy2003 [mailto:ctsguy2003@y...]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 12:01 PM
> To: repetitivestrain@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [repetitivestrain] I am new here, and have CTS.
>
>
> I am wondering what type of operations are available, and what
their
> success rates are.
>
> I have spoken and met with several people so far who are NOT happy
> with the results from operations performed years ago.
>
> I was hoping things have improved.
>
> I get pain and numbness in my right side fingers and hand, and
pain
> in my right arm and shoulder, even after typing for 1-2 hours.
This
> is even while using a metal brace on my wrist.
>
> I even get a strange symptom, whereby when I burp, it causes pain
in
> my right arm that is identical to the CTS pain. (Weird)
>
> Thanks.
> -Tom
>
>
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