Man this sucks...

[willtill]

.. I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome in BOTH hands Monday. :shock: And yesterday the nerve tests confirmed that I need surgery :022:

So may as get it done this winter; hopefully will be healed up quick enough to shovel snow later.

Anyone have experience with Carpal Tunnel surgery and how has it affected your motorcycle riding later on?

[53driver]

..bummer.. I have not had any experience with it.
Can you get it retroactively attributed to poor ergonomics on you gov't issued desk, chair and computer?

[willtill]

..bummer.. I have not had any experience with it.
Can you get it retroactively attributed to poor ergonomics on you gov't issued desk, chair and computer?

:icon_lol: No... but that's funny.

I would think that a lot of the cause over the years could actually be attributed to motorcycle riding; ie repetitious use of clutch, brake lever, throttle, static wrist position, etc.. of course working on a laptop for 10-12 hours each day doesn't help either :shhh:

[3Chief]

That sucks...No experience personally, however I'm currently polishing a chair with my ass in preplanning and the guy next to me and his brother both just had the surgery. From what I understand you want to make sure you get a specialist who does the surgery liproscopically vs the full knife job. The guy here had the knife and has good size marks on him, he's still in pain. His brother had the other surgery and is already back to playing golf after 3 weeks or so.

[willtill]

That sucks...No experience personally, however I'm currently polishing a chair with my ass in preplanning and the guy next to me and his brother both just had the surgery. From what I understand you want to make sure you get a specialist who does the surgery liproscopically vs the full knife job. The guy here had the knife and has good size marks on him, he's still in pain. His brother had the other surgery and is already back to playing golf after 3 weeks or so.

Yes, the doctor whom is going to do the deed uses the laparoscopic approach (small incision). I don't want my palm(s) and wrist(s) to be slit open like a rainbow trout :shock::shock:

[stroguy]

Cuba....docs are pretty cheap .


Sorry to hear.

[DMAGOLDRDR]

.. I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome in BOTH hands Monday. :shock: And yesterday the nerve tests confirmed that I need surgery :022:
So may as get it done this winter; hopefully will be healed up quick enough to shovel snow later.
Anyone have experience with Carpal Tunnel surgery and how has it affected your motorcycle riding later on?


Yup,, had my left wrist done about 5 yrs ago. Easy surgery and fairly short recovery. If I recall it was only a few weeks before I went back to riding.
I have been out of driving for 16yrs now but was a truck driver for 25 yrs and hanging my left hand over the steering wheel and right hand over the shifter of a big rig for so long did a lot of damage. I would wake up at night and it felt like my arms were on fire. Being right handed I felt I would go for the left first and see how things went. Also the left wrist was far worse than the right.
I am happy with the results and have no numbness in the left hand/wrist at all.

Although I feel it was a success I have not gone back to have the right hand done.

IF you decide to get both done at one time you hade better have someone around for help because you won't be able to do certain things without help. Imagine living a few days without the use of your hands. Think of that the next time you walk into the bathroom!!!

[six2go]

My Wife had both wrists done a few years ago. From what I could tell, it was easy, peasy. Each one took about 20 minutes from the time they took her to the surgery room until they walked her back to the waiting area. The second time, we were home before her scheduled surgery time and DONE. She said the pain relief was almost immediate. Recovery time was not very long either.

[Travelor]

.. I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome in BOTH hands Monday. :shock: And yesterday the nerve tests confirmed that I need surgery :022:

So may as get it done this winter; hopefully will be healed up quick enough to shovel snow later.

Anyone have experience with Carpal Tunnel surgery and how has it affected your motorcycle riding later on?

Yep - had both wrists done in 2000. Very quick procedure, very short recovery time. Riding within a week (because it doesn't affect the tendons, just the band around them that is irritated and causing the issue.) You'll be shoveling snow in no time.

[willtill]

Thanks all of you for the info. Will see the Doc the week after Thanksgiving to get this all planned out.

[pitcherd]

There is no Silver Lining to having surgery, but at least it is not at the beginning of riding season. Hopefully you will have a speedy recovery. I have heard mixed reviews on how well the surgery works. I had a friend that retired last year because of it. He seems to think that it is getting better over time and one hand fared better than the other. GOOD LUCK SIR!!

[tiltingf6b]

.. I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome in BOTH hands Monday. :shock: And yesterday the nerve tests confirmed that I need surgery :022:

So may as get it done this winter; hopefully will be healed up quick enough to shovel snow later.

Anyone have experience with Carpal Tunnel surgery and how has it affected your motorcycle riding later on?

@willtill - I am a Neuro-Muscular Therapist - something in between a massage therapist and a physical therapist. The advise I am going to share is not arm chair coaching.

Many people come to me with issues like you are having - bilateral issues (both hands) usually indicate a cervical issue upstream and in the background.

I would seek out a highly skilled neuro-muscular therapist and let them address the issue through manual muscle and myofascial release techniques, stretching and icing and if all works out - Voila, you wont need surgery.

Most motorcycle riders forget that their hands experience lots of vibration and the flexor muscles (palm side) stay contracted too long which also strains the extensors (back side of hand).

Just learning to stretch properly before, during and after a ride will many times by itself alleviate most of the symptoms. This is double important if you have a job that involves using tools that vibrate etc...
While icing your wrists is uncomfortable in does sedate the nerves and calms down inflamed tissues.

Lastly misdiagnosed carpal tunnel issues are common - yes you may have nerve compression - but you may have the surgery and still be symptomatic if their is also a cervical issue. I work with these types of frustrated folks all the time and when they find out some simple body work and stretching resolved their issues they are both pissed off and overjoyed.
Don't let the surgeon make his new Porsche down payment until you've worked with a great (very talented) Physical therapist or neuro-muscular specialist.
http://www.handtoelbow.com/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/
http://www.advtherapy.net/html/carpaltunnel.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLR_bgbAA2w&feature=youtu.be

Lastly - many folks curl and clench their wrists up while the sleep, you will know if you do this because your wrists will hurt more in the morning - wearing wrist splints at night really helps this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTKyioqoZVM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdD7CgN5FGg

[Bob Penn]

Stop blaming motorcycles!

The true cause of carpal tunnel is too much :jerkit:

Be careful though, I was always told you may go blind next.

[willtill]

@willtill - I am a Neuro-Muscular Therapist - something in between a massage therapist and a physical therapist. The advise I am going to share is not arm chair coaching.

Many people come to me with issues like you are having - bilateral issues (both hands) usually indicate a cervical issue upstream and in the background.

I would seek out a highly skilled neuro-muscular therapist and let them address the issue through manual muscle and myofascial release techniques, stretching and icing and if all works out - Voila, you wont need surgery.

Most motorcycle riders forget that their hands experience lots of vibration and the flexor muscles (palm side) stay contracted too long which also strains the extensors (back side of hand).

Just learning to stretch properly before, during and after a ride will many times by itself alleviate most of the symptoms. This is double important if you have a job that involves using tools that vibrate etc...
While icing your wrists is uncomfortable in does sedate the nerves and calms down inflamed tissues.

Lastly misdiagnosed carpal tunnel issues are common - yes you may have nerve compression - but you may have the surgery and still be symptomatic if their is also a cervical issue. I work with these types of frustrated folks all the time and when they find out some simple body work and stretching resolved their issues they are both pissed off and overjoyed.
Don't let the surgeon make his new Porsche down payment until you've worked with a great (very talented) Physical therapist or neuro-muscular specialist.
http://www.handtoelbow.com/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/
http://www.advtherapy.net/html/carpaltunnel.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLR_bgbAA2w&feature=youtu.be

Lastly - many folks curl and clench their wrists up while the sleep, you will know if you do this because your wrists will hurt more in the morning - wearing wrist splints at night really helps this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTKyioqoZVM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdD7CgN5FGg

Thanks for your tips and insight. I appreciate it. I have been wearing splints at night and it really helps.

[tiltingf6b]

Thanks for your tips and insight. I appreciate it. I have been wearing splints at night and it really helps.

Good on ya - Stretch stretch stretch!