Help With Possible Carpal Tunnel Symptoms?

[Hal-9000]

For the past month I been experiencing the following:

numb wrist
numb hand
cold wrist
pain radiating up forearm

and most importantly and prevalent...incredible pain in my right elbow.

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If you were to bring your right hand up to your right shoulder, the entire inside ligament that goes around the interior (body side) of your elbow joint...that's the place that is killing me.
I was lifting some 73 pound boxes today and kept dropping them.My right arm bears most of the weight when I lift things and immediately when I bear weight on it, I drop things

Beowulf posted a good guide for pc related repetitive strain injuries at another forum.I need some ideas for exercises or perhaps advice on how to not use it...in order to let it heal.
Right now while I'm typing, I can feel numbness from my index finger traveling up my forearm so I know I've tweaked something.

The elbow/ligament pain is my primary concern.Sounds dumb but I've been using a game controller to play pc games and it seems to be worse after doing that.My symptoms are pretty much
in line with Carpal Tunnel syndrome, so hopefully someone here has been through similar and can offer some advice.

I always have a sore neck and shoulders/jaw....these things are normal for me.I've been using the same mouse and keyboard for years, so I don't believe that's the cause.
I don't wish to see a doctor for this, as I already have some stuff on the go that requires hardcore treatment from time to time

Please and thanks

[DemonGeminiX]

I started getting pain in my right elbow while playing my guitar about two years ago. I've started doing some simple upper body exercises and I no longer get that pain.

Just sayin'.

[Hal-9000]

I started getting pain in my right elbow while playing my guitar about two years ago. I've started doing some simple upper body exercises and I no longer get that pain.

Just sayin'.

When I was lifting weights regularly and hitting things (deck posts and wooden training trees) I developed a similar condition and can't recall the bloody name right now...it's tricep arthritis or something similar.You strain the attachment around the elbow by doing things like playing guitar or lifting...or hitting in my case.My wrists and hands have always been very strong....now 10 years later my elbow feels like someone has cut a tendon or sumtin....

ok just saying guy...what are the exercises pls?

[DemonGeminiX]

Well I started off with lifting weights and I kept injuring my arm tendons in both the biceps and triceps, so I backed off of lifting weights for now. I'll pick that up later when my arms can handle the added stress. Maybe in about 6-9 months.

Right now, all I'm doing is pushups, pull ups, and dips... and I'm only doing 60 reps of each split up into several sets. Keep in mind that I'm in a wheelchair and I use my upper body to move my entire body weight in this chair, so I gotta be careful. You might be able to push a little harder than my muscles can cope with right now.

The pushups are kind of half-assed because I do them on my bed and I can't prop myself up on my toes like non-wheelchair bound people can, so they're effectively sissy pushups from my knees. I can do those everyday. I stop at 60, but I can probably go to 150 if I really wanted to. I'm just being careful.

The dips I do Monday's and Thursdays (I have a homemade set of parallel bars that I do them on). The pullups I do on Tuesdays and Fridays (I have a pull up bar installed in my closet door frame).

I've been doing the 60 reps for a couple of weeks now and it's starting to get a little easier, so I may push for 70-75 reps in total next week.

I might start a two day split 3x a week (Mon-Wed-Fri, Tues-Thurs-Sat) when I hit 100 reps in total, but that may take another couple of months to get to that point.

That's it.

[Hal-9000]

thanks DGX...the dips are out of the question right away, tried some today on our step with railings at work and ...it was embarrassing

I'm thinking this is pc related (hoping) and believe I can adjust my posture somehow or wear a tensor bandage on my wrist.I hate even complaining
about this type of pain but the elbow thing is getting me worried.

About the only positive thing is that it goes away at times....so it's not constant.



btw...60 'sissy' pushups are more than most people do, keep going man

[DemonGeminiX]

thanks DGX...the dips are out of the question right away, tried some today on our step with railings at work and ...it was embarrassing

I'm thinking this is pc related (hoping) and believe I can adjust my posture somehow or wear a tensor bandage on my wrist. I hate even complaining about this type of pain but the elbow thing is getting me worried.

About the only positive thing is that it goes away at times... so it's not constant.

btw...60 'sissy' pushups are more than most people do, keep going man

Yeah, dips aren't easy to get started. You really have to work your way up to them. If it wasn't for the fact that I push myself up in my wheelchair and do transfers from the chair to the car, the toilet, the shower chair, and the bed, then I probably wouldn't be able to do a single dip either. When I first started specifically doing dips, I could barely do 5 full dips without my muscles crapping out. But I got better at it fast. Unless you're feeling severe pain while attempting them, then just keep trying.

Now don't throw anything at me for saying this but maybe you should take a break from the gaming for a little bit? If it's repetitive stress injuries that you're dealing with, the break may help.

[Hal-9000]

Yeah, dips aren't easy to get started. You really have to work your way up to them. If it wasn't for the fact that I push myself up in my wheelchair and do transfers from the chair to the car, the toilet, the shower chair, and the bed, then I probably wouldn't be able to do a single dip either. When I first started specifically doing dips, I could barely do 5 full dips without my muscles crapping out. But I got better at it fast. Unless you're feeling severe pain while attempting them, then just keep trying.

Now don't throw anything at me for saying this but maybe you should take a break from the gaming for a little bit? If it's repetitive stress injuries that you're dealing with, the break may help.

Oh I'm fine with dips in general, in fact it used to one of my faves to do with two chairs....the old fashioned way
At this particular point in time tho.....I'm broken I think


You are correct sir....gaming, maybe pc stuff in general for a quite a while.Grabbing my mouse causes little electrical feelings and numbness in my wrist and arm...


FFS! you should feel the pain and strange electrical sensations I go through at times with trigeminal neuralgia..it can be debilitating and here I am bitching about my %$#@@! arm and elbow

I've had enough...

[Hal-9000]

wanking?


oh Christ nooooooooooooo

[Shady]

I know it sounds simple but you should try a daily regiment of icing your elbow. I know it may seem counter productive but swelling and pain normally go together. It may just be minor swelling at the joint but if you ice your arm while resting it for 15 minutes a day it should help. It'll probably increase blood flow, reduce some of the numbness and ease the pain.

Every time I talk to my sister, a physical therapist, about an injury, the first thing she suggests is to ice it while resting it.

[beowulf]

the thing with CTS is that once you have the pain it means you are already hurt and its going to take a long while to recover, since its on the inside of the elbow it sounds like the sort that golfers get

ice is good, make sure you use anti immflammatries to help, DO NOT go lifting weights as that will aggrevate it, leave off using a game pad if thats aggrevating it, if a mouse is causing probs either use a different sort of input device, prefrably a roller ball type or even a graphic pad if you can get away with it.........or the simple solution is to use your mouse with your other hand!..........use a wrist support too if you got one, and make sure your keyboard is angled correctly

more importantly,........................go see a doctor, you muppet!!!!

like i said, once you have pain it means you have already done damage............and thats a long recovery period

[minz]

Is it repetitive strain? You need to remember to change hands at 99!!

[Hal-9000]

I know it sounds simple but you should try a daily regiment of icing your elbow. I know it may seem counter productive but swelling and pain normally go together. It may just be minor swelling at the joint but if you ice your arm while resting it for 15 minutes a day it should help. It'll probably increase blood flow, reduce some of the numbness and ease the pain.

Every time I talk to my sister, a physical therapist, about an injury, the first thing she suggests is to ice it while resting it.

the thing with CTS is that once you have the pain it means you are already hurt and its going to take a long while to recover, since its on the inside of the elbow it sounds like the sort that golfers get

ice is good, make sure you use anti immflammatries to help, DO NOT go lifting weights as that will aggrevate it, leave off using a game pad if thats aggrevating it, if a mouse is causing probs either use a different sort of input device, prefrably a roller ball type or even a graphic pad if you can get away with it.........or the simple solution is to use your mouse with your other hand!..........use a wrist support too if you got one, and make sure your keyboard is angled correctly

more importantly,........................go see a doctor, you muppet!!!!

like i said, once you have pain it means you have already done damage............and thats a long recovery period

thanks lads...just grabbed the mouse and already my wrist is tingling....fookincrappypee.
I can handle all of the weird stuff, it's my elbow that worries me...no docs, had enough of those guys

[Hal-9000]

Is it repetitive strain? You need to remember to change hands at 99!!

I can still lift garden gnomes with that arm....quiet you

[Goofy]

you should feel the pain and strange electrical sensations I go through at times with trigeminal neuralgia..it can be debilitating and here I am bitching about my %$#@@! arm and elbow

Didn't realise that's what you had mate, must be tough at times