From: cbh@windsurf.scd.ucar.edu (Cris Hannu)
Subject: Re: HELP!:  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Reply-To: cbh@windsurf.scd.ucar.edu (Cris Hannu)
Organization: NCAR / Scientific Computing Division, Boulder CO.
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 20:00:50 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.010752.27258@sj.nec.com>, brahms@delaware.tdd.sj.nec.com (George Skillman  x2921) writes:
> In article <1992Aug12.183954.3515@leland.Stanford.EDU> edwilson@leland.Stanford.EDU (Edward Wilson) writes:
> >I'm beginning to notice symptoms of what I think is carpal tunnel syndrome.
> >
> > - My index and middle fingers on each hand sometimes feel numb and 
> >   tingly, especially after a hard day of windusurfing, like I had 
> >   yesterday at Coyote Pt. (4 solid hours of 4.8)
> >
> >Ed Wilson
> >
> 
> I'm having the exact same problem and have already talked about it with
> my physician at Kaiser.  He simply tells me I must give my hands a rest.
> I'm supposed to be trying to type with the one hand that is affected less
> (my right hand) but I get really impatient.  (I type very fast with two and
> going slow on the keyboard drives me nuts.)
> 
> As I understand it, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is named after a narrow tube that
> contains all the nerves that service that part of the hand.  The tube is
> too narrow (chalk another one up for the Deity) and the nerves get pinched
> when the bottom of the wrist is pressed on something like a desk.
> 
> Other than giving my hand a rest, my doctor advised lowering the keyboard
> and/or raising my chair to get my wrist off the desktop.  If all else fails,
> there's a surgical procedure that is supposed to help.  I'm not sure of
> the details, but it has something to do with removing a strip of skin that
> constricts the "Carpal Tunnel" containing the nerves.
> 
I haven't had this problem, yet, though I do spend a lot of hours in front
of my Sun terminal (I use a wrist rest, that I made from some packing material,
that keeps my hands level with the keys).  
However, my brother has had the surgery on both wrists (he's a heavy machinery 
mechanic).  There are a couple of operations that can be done.  The one my 
brother had done was where they slice open the tunnel wall to free the 
constriction of nerves.  One hand is okay now the other didn't completely 
recover.
Hazards (as I understand them):

   - If you wait too long, you may not recover full feeling.  Once a nerve
     dies, that's it - they don't regenerate.  Also, once you start to lose
     feeling you start to lose strength as well because you can't tell how
     hard you're gripping anything.
   - If they slice a nerve when they cut the wall, that's all she wrote for
     the feeling in that part of your hand.
   - There's no garantee that the operation will help anyway.

As for preventative measures, I'd suggest seeing the doc.  I know my wrist
pad is nice and comfy for typing but I've never experienced any problems out
on the water either.
-- 
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Cris Hannu                       |  Windsurfing the high country.
Cray Research, Inc.              |
@NCAR - Boulder, CO              |         ^           ^
cbh@windsurf.scd.ucar.edu        |        / \ ___)___ / \ 
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