Over the last several months my CTS has been getting worse and worse - it first started in the last few months of 2008 and come and gone with little to worry about. However, since moving to the States the carpal tunnel has gotten worse to the extent of breaking my sleep routine. Both hands are affected and I would wake up multiple times a night with one or both hands losing all feeling in the last three fingers. Then it started getting worse - while driving, while knitting, while cooking - the feeling would drain out of those fingers.
I had started wearing splints to bed in September, and it worked until the begining of last month when even while wearing the splints I'd wake up with my hands numb. So finally, I gave in to both my doctor and husband and opted to try out Acupuncture as a solution. I've previously turned to acupuncture to solve the problem of heavy migraines several years past, so my confidence in that it works is fairly high.
Yesterday I went to my first appointment. After reviewing my full history of aches and pains from cold sweats to achey knees, the acupuncturist stuck me with needles (knees and down and then upper back) and I relaxed in this pincushion state for 10-20 minutes.
One magical thing she did was to "pop my muscles" just behind my neck using a pressure point. The muscle literally jumped and immediately relaxed. After this, I was so greatful and relaxed all the way home. By 7pm I was falling asleep and I had possibly the best night of sleep in weeks!
Unfortunately come morning, I could feel the CTS stirring in my hands but with less severity than before. I'm due for another appointment in a week's time, so I thought it a good thing to blog my progress. Let me be the ginnea pig :)