DEV Community

Discussion on: How I Fixed My Carpal Tunnel Pain

Collapse
 
steveloughran profile image
Steve Loughran

I embraced CTS many decades ago...suffered for a few years until I worked out how to manage if. For me that's: ergo keyboards, trackpad and mouse on either side of the KB, various other office setups.

But key -and this was by accident- was taking up rock climbing. This built up my forearm muscles and made things go away. Now I need to do it intermittently, or at least use an extra hard grip/wrist thing you squeeze to build up strength. I have to do this, have accepted its a price of my job. But climbing is fun anyway. My recommendation for others: go to a sports physio

Collapse
 
jess profile image
Jess Lee

Interesting. I recently climbed super hard and it took my wrists much much longer to recover which I suspected was do to CTS. Now when I climb, I feel like my wrists/forearms get tired out very quickly and have been really nervous about pushing myself.

Collapse
 
viki53 profile image
Corentin H. ⚡ • Edited

I've been climbing (boulder) for 3 years now and CTS has been getting worse for a little over a year. I have tried using a regular mouse, a vertical mouse and a trackpad (on a 2015 MacBook Pro), results don't change that much.

An osteopath friend told me climbing and mouse/trackpad using are different movements and sometimes are opposite so some bones might move in the wrist, causing pain.

I recently had about 5 small bones move in my right wrist. An osteopath put some of them back, but climbing brings the pain back almost every time…

Weird how a similar treatment has very different effects on people 😊

Collapse
 
andy profile image
Andy Zhao (he/him)

I've actually noticed that using a grip strengthener thing has helped my wrist pain a bit. Glad to hear someone else thinks the same.

Collapse
 
rouzbeh84 profile image
rouzbeh

i don't have the CTS too bad just yet but i do try and use the grip strengtheners. in addition to that i have these pretty rando things that are meant for guitar too. back when i used to be cool i used these to 'shred' on my 'axe' haha. they helped with finger strength a lot too.

maybe the combo of forearm/finger strengtheners has actually worked to my benefit. now if i could just get my back to stop hurting... haha

Collapse
 
cubiclebuddha profile image
Cubicle Buddha

CTS and repetitive stress syndromes are incredibly frustrating. I struggle with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which is related. It took me forever to "embrace" the condition like you have Steve. I'm glad to share that I'm finally there: "What Physical Therapy taught me about enjoying life"