PMR and carpal tunnel syndrome

[kathleen18]

Having read a couple of posts today which mentioned Carpal Tunnel syndrome I wondered whether there is any connection with Polymyalgia? I ask because I have just been told that my painful hand/wrist is Carpal T.S?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Yes - it is not uncommon alongside PMR. If you google "pmr and carpal tunnel syndrome" you should find several links to papers about it being found in patients with PMR.

[kathleen18 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you I will do that. I was told I could have a steroid injection but I feel I have had enough of steroids! I will have to see what happens, but it is a nuisance if there is a connection between the two.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to kathleen18]

Try the steroid injection - there are several things that often accompany PMR that will respond well to a single steroid shot getting rid of the problem without having to increase the oral dose which is less effective.

[kathleen18 in reply to PMRpro]

I will wait and see how bad it gets, night time is worst. I know you can have an op, but I don't really want anything!

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to kathleen18]

Don't wait too long. The longer CTS lasts, the more damage is done. Better to chase the inflammation away...just my opinion.

[Zampalion in reply to kathleen18]

I have had an injection for CTS After reducing pred. Down to.5 a day worked within a few days even reduced my arthritic pain in my hand joints it 4 weeks since it was done do not know how long it will last

[Sandy1947 in reply to PMRpro]

I find as I reduce Pred, now at 11mg, I get pains in my fingers and wrists. Have finger pain now before 5 am dose. At first orthopedist thought it was carpal tunnel but it seems to come and go. I try exercises. PMR randomly produces unexpected pain along the way.

[1Purplecrow]

Just food for thought...I found when I modified my hand position for holding IPad and books, my wrist symptons went away. Also wore a wrist wrap for a few days...

[kathleen18 in reply to 1Purplecrow]

Luckily this is my left hand so can manage well. I will see if it gets worse.

[Chrob]

I had a steroid injection in both thumbs about a year before PMR got it’s realy angry grip , (I see it as a blue parrot who jumps up and down squawking on bad days ,sleeping on the perch on good ) it helped me tremendously. Now doc is sending me for nerve tests as I have more carpel tunnel symptoms as my prednisolone dose is reducing .

[kathleen18 in reply to Chrob]

Oh dear if it's not one thing it is another! And I thought I was improving, albeit very slowly!

[Hollyseden]

I have pmr. My daughter has had carpal tunnel for years, she had op on one wrist but refused for other wrist because didn't make enough difference to justify the hassle, couldn't drive for weeks etc. My other daughter suffers from CTS when pregnant. Join the lucky white heather club 😑

[Hollyseden]

Also both got relief from wearing splints, especially at night. Worth a try

[kathleen18 in reply to Hollyseden]

Thank you!

[May10]

I have had numb and tingly hands since the first day I started to take Pred. I have had no pain just strange hands where I find it difficult to hold things...eg. golf club and I cannot pick things up with my fingers. I have had tests done on the nerves and lucky for me there is no damage. My rheumy said Carpel Tunnel and gave me an injection in one wrist. It was so painful for a few days and when the injection wore off my hands were exactly the same. I am down to 3 mg but with no change in my hands. I hope it goes away when I manage to get off pred.

[kathleen18 in reply to May10]

Oh dear! I think I will wait and see how it develops. I also have a good acupuncture doctor who is a help.

[-LJ-]

I also have pmr (1 yr 5 months..started at 15 went to 20 now 3.5) and had a terrible time with carpal tunnel about a month in. I couldn’t hold things, had terrible tingling, and was in pretty constant pain. Rheumi sent me (at my request) to pt. I went for 4 appointments, and figured out it really wasn’t helping much. I started researching here and other places and decided to start taking magnesium and turmeric. I don’t know if it was those, or it had run it’s course, but within a week I was using my hands and the tingling went away. Hasn’t come back since, though I can feel a tinge when using the iPad for a long time. I did learn a couple of things at pt...one was to do water baths...always start and end with cold water....lay your hand in cold side of sink....squeeze hand slowly in and out for about 10 times...then go to warm bath on other side and do the same...then switch back. Do for about 10 minutes. I did feel so much better. They wanted to talk about steroid injections etc....honestly, I think it is inflammation due to PMR....everywhere I have read, the people with PMR who have resorted to shots and surgery didn’t get much relief!! Good luck!

[kathleen18 in reply to -LJ-]

Thank you I will try that!

[AliDeJ]

I had carpal Tunnel Release ops in both hands in 2011, five weeks apart. Nerve tests showed it was severe in one hand and very severe in the other. I had lost feeling in my right hand -first three digits- completely. It was agony at night especially in my hands and elbows, like fire, but up to the tops of my arms. The nerve tests were done at a private clinic, paid for by the NHS, and the doctor was amazed that I had not been given splints. He gave me some then and there. These helped enormously at night to stop the wrist bending. The NHS had " suggested" these, I wish I had taken up that suggestion sooner. It was too late to make a difference to the very severe hand but did help the other while I was waiting for the op. The op solved the problem and I am still fine and very thankful for the surgery!

There is a reticence to perform the op these days, but for me it was problem solved. The feeling game back in my fingers after a few months and the pain went instantly.

Don't know if there's a link between CT and PMR.

[kathleen18 in reply to AliDeJ]

Thank you for the info. I am glad for you that the op was successful. I do find that holding my wrist (with other hand of course!) soothes it, so presumably that is what a splint will do, but I am not bad enough for that - yet.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to kathleen18]

I have been reading all the posts since I last was on - and they are almost all saying what I came to say (forgot originally) which was: SPLINTS. You might not feel it is bad enough YET - they MAY prevent it getting worse.

[kathleen18 in reply to PMRpro]

I will investigate!

[AliDeJ in reply to kathleen18]

When we sleep we bend the wrist, sometimes letting it flop down over the edge of the mattress. This compresses the already trapped nerves and makes it worse. The splints are like gloves which fasten with velcro and have a slim bar lying along the front of the hand down to the wrist to hold the hand in a straight line with the arm. Easy to wear, and as PMRpro says, they may prevent your condition getting worse. £8.99 on the obvious online order store (not sure if we are allowed to advertise!)

Hope the problem resolves for you soon.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to AliDeJ]

You mean the one in the jungle? I often include the link if appropriate!!!!

[kathleen18 in reply to AliDeJ]

That is interesting - I do tend to put my arm out over edge of bed but lying on other side helps.

[IdasMum]

I had CTS for several years without addressing it. Eventually was tested and had Carpal Tunnel release surgery in Mar & May 2015. In November 2015 I began what I now know to be PMR symptoms....

I wonder what would have happened had I left the CPS. It's a chicken and egg thing for me, which came first, or was it all part of the same.

[kathleen18 in reply to IdasMum]

Sometimes I think it is best to do nothing, but one is driven by the pain to take action! Easy to be wise with hindsight!

[Ruadh]

Kathleen - there are a number of youtube videos covering carpal tunnel, both open and by arthroscopy. From treating carpal non-surgically by physiotherapy; and then the physiotherapy / exercises to do, following surgery. This is a useful protocol to do following surgery :-

youtube.com/watch?v=zk1ttRO...(Not working as expected?)

My own carpal surgery worked well. Take care -

[kathleen18 in reply to Ruadh]

I'll have a look, thanks!

[Sallyaches]

Kathleen, had severe symptoms 2 years ago , had the nerve studies and was referred for surgery. My referral got lost in the system, but I have found as my PMR became under control the carpel tunnel symptoms have got less. I too was not keen on the idea of surgery ( which is probably why I was slow to chase it up). I may eventually need it but I will wait and see. One thing I was told was to avoid sitting leaning on my elbows on a hard surface, which I now try to avoid.

Best wishes

[kathleen18 in reply to Sallyaches]

All interesting and helpful replies. At present I will see how things go. I really don't want to return to the doctor yet again ! It does sound though as if there is a connection to PMR.

[ExtraTuff]

I was wondering if you have had some relief of the CT symptoms? I have had PMR for about 2 years now. A year ago during my first taper (I had a relapse last summer) I started having CT symptoms, the worst being at night when my hands would 'fall asleep' and I would wake up in pain needing to shake the circulation back to normal. I discovered a very helpful wrist brace made by Futuro. It's called a Night Wrist Brace. They are special because they have a wonderful pad in palm area filled with beads like the kids Beanie Babies are filled with. I wear them almost every night to prevent problems and so far my day time symptoms are gone as well. Just wanted to pass on something that actually helped me a lot.

[kathleen18 in reply to ExtraTuff]

Thank you that is very interesting. Luckily it is only my left hand which is affected and of course worse at night. It aches all the time and sometimes worse. At night my whole arm tingles then aches until I turn over to relieve it. I am still not certain whether it is carpal tunnel or not. I might investigate your wrist brace as it has helped you so much, anything is worth a try!