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Has anyone had Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Author: LaurieBell
Date: 2015-02-05 14:09

Last December I reported that my fingers started going numb. I finally got in to see several doctors and took an EMG test that records the electrical activity of muscles. The test confirmed I have "Moderate" carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and the doctor recommends surgery to release the pressure on the nerves.

My background with CTS . . . I played clarinet in the Army Bands for 9 years and never had it. After that I quit clarinet for 30+ years but played Recorder and mandolin and autoharp - all with no problem. In my 30s I did a lot of bicycle riding, often riding 50+ miles a day and that is when I noticed a problem, probably due to bending my hands on the handlebars. I quit riding about 5 years later and didn't notice the problem any more. I do a lot of computer typing at work, but haven't noticed any problems until this last year when I started playing clarinet again.

I've talked to several nurse friends who all say the surgery is a common procedure, and I've talked to two other friends who had the surgery years ago and all is ok. But I haven't talked to any clarinet players yet to see what their experience was.

Has anyone had CTS to the point their fingers got number during playing? (Mine when numb right now in the time it took to type this.)

Did altering your playing schedule or technique help? (I only practice 60-90 minutes at a time and take a short break every 20 minutes. But rehearsing with the community band is a little more intense.)

Did anyone give up on the clarinet and switch to another instrument, say the trumpet?

If you had the CTS surgery:
1. How long before you could return to playing?
2. Did the surgery adversely affect your playing in anyway?
3. Did the surgery eliminate the numbness in your fingers?
4. Which hand did you have done first?

I'm going for a second opinion next week but odds are I need to have the surgery. I'm pretty nervous about the whole thing.

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