Piano player carpel tunnel surgery due to fall and fracture

I am a working musician (pianist-organist) 4 months ago I fell & fractured my wrist, though x-ray by a non hand specialist orthopedic did not show a break but a bad sprain at least. So I ACE bandaged my wrist and returned to my busy playing work, along with other use of my hands, because it was necessary, as I saw it.

Finally, after two months and no real healing, I went to a hand specialist MD, who ordered an MRI which showed there had been a fracture of the wrist, along with a round object (calcium deposit? he didn't know) on the under side of the wrist. By the time I got to the hand doctor I was experiencing numbness in my right hand fingers (those associated with carpel tunnel) and pain in the wrist.

EMG revealed "severe nerve damage" and blood test was negative for R.A. I'm still playing using both hands though it's been difficult to continue. Doctor is strongly recommending surgery, to prevent the damage from getting worse.

I believe it's best to take a leave from my playing work until further notice, as it's apparently not going to heal without a rest or surgery. I've never had carpel tunnel before from playing but doing so, not knowing my wrist was fractured, has no doubt brought on all the present problems.

I know many have avoided surgery by rest, wearing a hand/wrist brace and other activities (some of which you may have mentioned on your website). I've been dealing with all this now for 4 months. Thank you for any thoughts you may have.

Thank you. (A reader who prefers to remain anonymous)



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Joshua Answers:

Hello Anonymous.

1. Please update me on what's happened since you submitted this in October.

2. Rest doesn't fix anything, it does however reduce new irritation to already irritated dynamic.

3. Falling never helps anything, of course. It us useful to know that you already had a Pain Causing Dynamic in place, where slowly over time muscle and connective tissue got tighter and the Process of Inflammation crept it's way in.

Then you fell and that kick started all your defensive mechanisms into high gear.

4. What exactly did/does the surgeon plan on surgeoning on? Here's some good questions to ask, since surgery causes injury in and of itself: Quiz Your Doc

5. There are other ways to reverse the symptoms of 'severe nerve damage'. And really, it's only severe nerve damage if the nerve is cut, severed, or near completely compressed by broken bones etc. Chances are it's more like a foot stepping on a hose....just take the foot off.

Doctors like the 'nerve damage' diagnosis though. It's great justification for surgery. (which may or may not be needed, but generally it's not).

6. I would imagine that the round object is calcium build up, assuming it's at the site of the fracture?



So give me an update, and we'll go from there.



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Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com