In one of the Facebook support groups, someone posted a question about chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy. In the thread, there was a comment from someone whose symptoms and medication history sounded very similar to mine. Like me, she couldn't figure out the cause. Honestly, it was a relief just to know someone else was going through something similar. Anyway, she said her PCP suggested a wrist brace, thinking it might be carpal tunnel syndrome.
I suddenly remembered that my medical oncologist had made the same suggestion when I first reported my symptoms. At the time, the problem pointed more towards generic swelling and pinched nerves, so I basically forgot about the wrist brace idea. But now that the swelling is down, and I'm still getting symptoms, I figured the wrist brace was worth trying out. If it works, great! If it doesn't, maybe I can rule out carpal tunnel syndrome.
I ordered 2 ComfyBrace wrist braces and have slept with them every night since Sunday.
Before the braces, I was waking up in the middle of the night with numb and tingly hands. Usually I can make my hands feel better just by rolling onto my side, a trick I figured out after I realized that lying on my back triggered symptoms. With the wrist braces, I don't think my hands feel quite so numb and tingly at night. It's a little hard to tell in the braces, but I think it's an improvement.
I still wake up in the mornings with the "tightness" in my fingers. But I think it's not as bad, and it's wearing off more quickly than before.
Over the last few days, my pinky and ring fingers have actually felt pretty normal, and it's mostly just my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers that feel numb. It's no longer limited to just the fingertips, though. I've been doing my nerve glides, but now that the numbness seems centered around my thumbs and first two fingers, maybe I should be exercising my radial nerve? The nerve glides my physical therapist gave me target the median and ulnar nerves, and since I won't be seeing my physical therapist for a while, I looked up some videos for radial nerve glides to add to my regimen.
I still get occasional mild tingling in both hands, especially when using them, but overall, after the morning "tightness" wears off, my right hand feels a lot better, almost normal. Symptoms in my left hand are worse, but both hands are definitely loads better than before.
Before the braces, I was waking up in the middle of the night with numb and tingly hands. Usually I can make my hands feel better just by rolling onto my side, a trick I figured out after I realized that lying on my back triggered symptoms. With the wrist braces, I don't think my hands feel quite so numb and tingly at night. It's a little hard to tell in the braces, but I think it's an improvement.
I still wake up in the mornings with the "tightness" in my fingers. But I think it's not as bad, and it's wearing off more quickly than before.
Over the last few days, my pinky and ring fingers have actually felt pretty normal, and it's mostly just my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers that feel numb. It's no longer limited to just the fingertips, though. I've been doing my nerve glides, but now that the numbness seems centered around my thumbs and first two fingers, maybe I should be exercising my radial nerve? The nerve glides my physical therapist gave me target the median and ulnar nerves, and since I won't be seeing my physical therapist for a while, I looked up some videos for radial nerve glides to add to my regimen.
I still get occasional mild tingling in both hands, especially when using them, but overall, after the morning "tightness" wears off, my right hand feels a lot better, almost normal. Symptoms in my left hand are worse, but both hands are definitely loads better than before.
When I'm hot while I'm sleeping, I definitely get puffy tight fingers from swelling. Do you think temperature might be a factor?
ReplyDeleteYou do!? I wonder... Every night I have hot flashes, usually 2-3 times a night, I have to kick off the covers, but then when it passes, I get cold again and have to pull the covers up again. It never occurred to me that these temporary temperature fluctuations could cause a bit of swelling? At this point, it's not a visible amount of swelling, just enough so that I still can't get my rings back on. Maybe... Wow, thanks for this insight!
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