Carpal tunnel syndrome and yard work: Seeking a solution

The list of injuries, whether minor or gruesome, you might suffer using outdoor power equipment is extensive. A couple of years ago I wrote about the types of jobs some weekend warriors might want to avoid. (The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provide safety advice for a range of gear.)

But this year I've encountered an injury not caused by a specific event, say cutting myself with a chain saw or getting dinged by a flying rock spewed by my lawn mower. And while it's more of a nagging injury—for right now—than a devastating one, this problem is no less significant.

I'm talking about carpal tunnel syndrome. Years ago I suffered from this injury, caused by pressure on a nerve in the wrist; mine is primarily in my right hand. My physician prescribed the anti-inflammatory drug Relafen (nabumetone), which, combined with a better ergonomic setup at my desk, remedied the matter.

But this year, the carpal tunnel syndrome and its accompanying pain, numbness, and tingling have come back worse than ever. And the yard work I do—using a lawn mower, string trimmer, and blower vac, not to mention shovels, rakes, pruners, and other hand tools—exacerbates the injury. The Black & Decker CMM 1200 cordless electric push mower I've been using seems to put more strain on my wrist than my self-propelled mower does.

I am trying several different grips on the gear and have adjusted the mower handle, but so far these steps haven't eliminated the carpal tunnel. Next steps? I just ordered a pair of work gloves designed to alleviate the symptoms and am also using stretches and massage. I'm also upping my intake of vitamin B6, as recommended by Orly Avitzur, M.D., a medical adviser to Consumers Union.

I'm keeping my tingling fingers crossed that these moves will work, because the next steps might include drugs and even surgery. As noted on ConsumerReportsHealth.org, "If you have severe carpal tunnel syndrome, you may need an operation right away to prevent more permanent nerve damage."

If you've ever suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome—perhaps specifically caused by your yard and garden work—tell us how you've tried to alleviate the problem by leaving a comment below.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Comments

[Terry Slovitchg]

I had severe carpal tunnel syndrome and was headed straight under the knife, but truly didnt want surgewry... A friend told me about a 'platelet injection' made from your own blood.. i as sceptical & the pain doc in denton, tx told me it was purely experimental but it worked!!.. within a few weeks my pain deminished to the point i didnt notice it or didnt have it anymore. I cant say this is the answer for everyone.. but it surely worked for me :) Best of luck to you friend!

[Trisha Bowman]

Unfortunately, the only real relief is anti-inflammatory meds, keeping it elevated and......rest. Anything to keep the wrist from bending too much and putting strain on those soft tissues is beneficial such as a wrist brace. At one point, mine was so bad that I could not hang onto a drinking glass...my hand would just "let go". I did eventually have surgery and it was the best thing I could have done as I was on the verge of nerve damage from all the years with cts. And yes, yard work made it much worse, especially the string trimmer. I also know that being overweight causes the pain/discomfort to increase.

[Dan]

I have had CTS for 15 years and it is often aggravated by yard work (rake & shovel are worst) more than computer work, even though I work on a keyboard all day. After a hard day of work in the yard I find that icing the top & bottom of my wrists for about 45 mins per side can really help. I keep the ice on one spot for 10-15 mins, then move it to the other side of the same wrist, and repeat until the 45 mins are up. Then I'll do the other hand/wrist.

I do the icing routine right after I finish in the yard, and then again the next morning when I get up.

All that being said, I am getting close to the point of being unable to keep the CTS at bay through reducing yard work and icing. Steroid shots in the wrist broke a couple of really bad cycles for me as well, but I am close to taking the advice from my friends who've had the surgery and are now symptom-less, and just getting the thing done...

[Connie Hambrock]

As a Massage Therapist and avid gardener it is easy to acquire such injuries and I have had extreme pain. There is a wonderful book called something like "No more Carpal Tunnel pain". Which I have used and provided relief to all my problems.I don't remember the author, but, she has a number of helpful exercises that help to release the lactic acid that accumulates in the muscles causing the inflammation and traction that occurs in the ligaments in the medial nerve area. These exercises Include realignment of the radius and ulna at the elbow to release the medial nerve from entrapment. If anyone is interested in more information I can get the book information for you or try looking it up on line. It has been very helpful for my clients as well.

[KC]

You need good antivibration gloves. They are fingerless with gel padding to protect hands/wrist. I have bilateral CP and did ok with a riding mower. The walk behind is torture w/o the gloves. In fact I wear the gloves while using any motorized tools.
These are what I use, (leather) but feel free to search.

http://www.sportaid.com/xcart/_search.php?page=1&q=HA607-M

You should see a hand specialist. I waited too long, the surgeries removed the pain but did not help return my dexterity.
Good luck.

[Terri]

I had severe CTS in both hands and it kept me enjoying gardening, even using a riding lawn mower so I had Carpal Tunnel Release surgery May 2008 on my left hand as I am right-handed and wanted to make sure the surgery on left was a success before I put my right hand through the surgery. My surgeon told me I would be "like new" and could again enjoy working outside, and able to do ANYTHING. I just want to mention something to the people who are thinking about having Carpal Tunnel surgery that I wish someone would have told me, primarily my surgeon. After surgery, the pain only got worse (over a 10 on pain scale) and I had not had any relief since the anesthetic wore off. Finally in July my surgeon said I have "RSD" aka Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. RSD is also known as CPRS Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and anyone considering having CTR surgery be aware. I have RSD/CRPS and after 1 year in physical therapy (3 x's a week)I have a 5 lb. weight restriction for life and my right hand is not operable for the severe CT still causing extreme pain. There is no cure for RSD/CRPS & it is a debilitating disease. I am no longer able to work because of the heavy pain meds I am on, and will be on for the rest of my life, not to mention everything I do exacerbates the RSD, daily tasks. If you would like more info regarding this disease that can happen to anyone go to www.rsdsa.org and you will get an idea of the hell it is to live with it. Please do some research before you agree to CTR surgery. I cannot do ANY yard work now. Any trauma causes the RSD to spread. RSD/CRPS aka Causalgia is the most painful type of chronic pain according to the McGill Pain Index today, even more painful than amputation and I live with this pain everyday. Good luck and I hope this never happens to anybody else!