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Thread: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

  1. #1
    Pittsburgh Bill
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    Default Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    I am interested in hearing the experience of others after carpal tunnel surgery. My syndrome has advanced to the point where I have little strength or feel in two of my fretting fingers with constant aching and burning. My picking hand has not yet started burning but aches. I have decided to do what I should have done some time back and have the surgery.
    How long after surgery was it that you could fret or pick again? Also, I would be interested in knowing how long did it take for full recovery and if after full recovery, were you back to 100%?
    Last edited by Pittsburgh Bill; Jan-14-2022 at 4:14pm.
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  2. #2
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    My wife had carpel tunnel along with LRTI in her thumb last year. She's fully recovered and flatpicking like crazy. While waiting for full recovery, she learned to pick holding the pick between index and middle finger, no thumb. Creative she certainly is.

    She has no carpal tunnel issues and is abut 90-95% with her thumb. It was about 4 months recovery for the thumb, wrist was quicker.

    ymmv
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    Registered User urobouros's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    I think I was down for 2 months after mine a couple years ago but can't remember for sure.
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    Practitioners of Rolfing (deep tissue manipulation) report excellent success treating carpal tunnel syndrome. Probably their most famous success story is Leonard Fleischer, the concert pianist. He lost the use of his right hand for many years due to carpal tunnel, and a Rolfer fixed him and put him back in the game, two-handed. (To his credit, in the meantime he became the foremost interpreter of Bartok's left-handed piano concerto.) It's worth a look. I believe the headquarters website is rolf.org. NFI here, but I have had Rolfers work on me in the past for other issues and obtained excellent results.

    I'd sure try anything else before I let a surgeon cut me. Surgeons do surgery. It's kind of like going to the tire store and asking if they think you need a new set of tires.

    Best of luck to you.

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    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    I've not had the surgery you are considering but I'll say this about recovery - DON'T RUSH IT!!! There are lots of success stories about this surgery.
    Mateo Casarino, an Italian immigrant from the old SF days had an accident that cut the tendon of his left hand little finger. The Docs put him back together successfully and told him to wait 6 weeks. Mateo couldn't wait and ended up playing w/out his little finger the rest of his life.
    I have had several major bone breaks that I obsequiously obeyed the doctors and therapists. I recovered completely.
    Good luck Bill!
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    Registered User Elliot Luber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    My wife had carpel tunnel along with LRTI in her thumb last year. She's fully recovered and flatpicking like crazy. While waiting for full recovery, she learned to pick holding the pick between index and middle finger, no thumb. Creative she certainly is.

    She has no carpal tunnel issues and is abut 90-95% with her thumb. It was about 4 months recovery for the thumb, wrist was quicker.

    ymmv
    Good to hear she had such a strong recovery. Keep picking!

  10. #7
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    I'm not a player, but am a builder for almost 20 years.. Worked the assembly lines in the auto industry for over 34 years (not all on the line).. With all of the repeated movement, I suffered hard with carpel tunnel till I finely had it corrected.. I remember being down for about 6 weeks before resuming production work.. My surgery was only about 80% with pain and numbness still to this day.. This was 25 years age when it was the vogue.. but life goes on.....
    kterry

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    Registered User J.C. Bryant's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    I have had surgery on both hands. My experience in terms of down time is very similar to "buckhorn's". Don't get them both done at the same time though.

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  14. #9
    Pittsburgh Bill
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    Quote Originally Posted by J.C. Bryant View Post
    I have had surgery on both hands. My experience in terms of down time is very similar to "buckhorn's". Don't get them both done at the same time though.
    How long ago did you have the surgery? I have heard that methods have changed radically in just the last few years and not only is the incision now much smaller but recovery times also much shorter. I sure hope this is accurate.
    It is an unusual day that I don't play for at least two hours and not playing will greatly hamper my quality of life.
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    I had carpal tunnel release surgery on my right (picking) hand back in August. The procedure was very quick (outpatient) and I was back home within a few hours. The incision is very small these days, about 1-1/2" long, right at the bottom end of the lifeline on my palm. The doctor said I could possibly be back to work in two weeks, but I imagine that timeline was more for someone doing office work. For me to swing a hammer or hold a saw, it was four weeks, and even then my hand felt very weak. But it has steadily improved. There is some scar tissue that feels like a ridge at the incision site, and a bit of occasional pain there, but I would say that grip strength is at 90-95 percent now. I'm hoping to get the left hand done this winter while time off is easy to schedule.
    Mitch Russell

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  17. #11
    Pittsburgh Bill
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    Quote Originally Posted by onassis View Post
    I had carpal tunnel release surgery on my right (picking) hand back in August. The procedure was very quick (outpatient) and I was back home within a few hours. The incision is very small these days, about 1-1/2" long, right at the bottom end of the lifeline on my palm. The doctor said I could possibly be back to work in two weeks, but I imagine that timeline was more for someone doing office work. For me to swing a hammer or hold a saw, it was four weeks, and even then my hand felt very weak. But it has steadily improved. There is some scar tissue that feels like a ridge at the incision site, and a bit of occasional pain there, but I would say that grip strength is at 90-95 percent now. I'm hoping to get the left hand done this winter while time off is easy to schedule.
    Thank you. How long before you could swing a mandolin pick?
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  19. #12
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    Default Re: Carpal Tunnel surgery?

    My ability to hold a pick was mostly limited by the bandage & wrap that was on my right hand for 10 days or so. After that came off, holding a pick was no big deal. The real test will be fretting after the left hand is done. I foresee that being at least a month without being able to play.
    Mitch Russell

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