CTS tender to touch?
The triad of CTS symptoms appears to be pain, numbness or tingling: in the early days I had all of this combination. However, there appears to be no definitive description of what type of pain you should experience in CTS. I have now developed tenderness (ie. pain upon palpation) over the bony joint at the base of my left index finger (ie. the junction of the metatarsal and the proximal phalange of my index finger). This tenderness is associated with stiffness, and painful range of motion of the same index finger which is worse in the morning or after rest. By turns this discomfort comes and goes and variously also affects the index finger of my right hand, but to a lesser degree. It is impossible to bend either of the index fingers fully now to touch my palm, which I could do prior to start of symptoms months ago. Do any users associate this tenderness with CTS or this not typical of CTS?
In Feb of this year I started experiencing numbness in both hands, poor strength and painful aching movement of thumbs and first two fingers, appearing symmetrically in both hands. Symptoms increased over the course of two or three shifts and then receded with rest at home. This pattern increased in severity until March when the rest between blocks of shifts wasn't enough. My GP diagnosed CTS and recommended splints day and night. I acquired splints much like the ones pictured on your site and have worn them consistently. The numbness receded but the pain persisted, sometimes going sometimes coming. Having had a quick look at trigger finger and the similarity in pathophysiology with CTS (sheaths and tendons, swelling and irritation) is it likely that wearing the splints where they overlap on the proximal joint of my index fingers may contribute to the development of trigger finger?
Many thanks, JH.
I don't think anyone knows the answer to that. Trigger digits and CTS very frequently co-exist whether you wear a splint or not and can occur in either order - trigger digit first then CTS or vice versa - so it would be very hard to blame the splint. Personally I think that the same genetic predisposition probably underlies both conditions. JB
Thank you for excellent response. Your attention to this site is phenomenal.
With thanks, JH
That sounds very like the beginning of a trigger finger - very commonly associated with, but separate from, CTS. Pain is the most variable feature of CTS and can be lancinating shock like pains or diffuse ache or both (and some patients get none) but not usually local tenderness of the type you describe there. JB