So I figured I'd just document my own experience here because while I am starting to think that I might have this I would just like to get opinions from other peers as well as share it in case anyone else is going through the same thing.
So about five years ago i got what i presumed to be my first case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. During this time period i was in college, there was an event going on in mmo i was playing and I grinded it obsessively like all day every day during it for about a week straight. At the end of this week I also had to do something with a friend the night I was starting to feel bad wrist pain, and that ended up being incredibly stressful and taking a very long time and I think i ended up with terrible sleep that night as well. Then following this I took a final exam, and while writing for it my pain was at its most debilitating and I managed to power through it and was done for the semester.
Following that I went home, was basically unable to game or type or anything really and the task of writing was similarly impossible (though I did have to play a board game which involved writing and gave me great pain doing so.) I looked it up, figured i had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and then stopped all activity for like a week or two and my pain actually went away entirely and I was fine.
Two years ago, it reared its ugly head again. No longer in college but instead when I first had unexplainable chest pains that made me go to ER to learn that there was nothing actually wrong with me, and every doctor to assume it was heartburn, specifically GERD. I took off work for about a week, and during that time i played several games all at once while feeling pretty lowsy until I did a "just a little more" for one game and found myself unable to use my hands well for about a week. They hurt when i did anything, and i mean anything. This problem also resolved itself in about a week or two but this time the pain has persisted albeit in a more mild form that seems to ramp up with use, specifically computer, phone and pencil use.
Fast forward to February of this year where I overgamed again, hurt my hands again though much more mild then the previous two times, went to a doctor where they found no bone issues and my nerve test said there was nothing wrong. Went to PT where they gave me a sheet of paper talking about my posture and gave me two nerve glides and that was that. The pain got better as always but in March I noticed my small fingers started to cramp up very frequently. In addition, a few months ago i started to notice that my elbows and what felt like my entire ulnar nerve would flare up by itself, whenever i did more keyboard stuff and whenever I did my job (which was pushing shopping carts.)
Fast forward to a month ago, where I attempted to get into drawing and my hand cramped a ton during that, and so i attempted to fix that problem and ended up doing what I thought was pinching a nerve (because it happened when I was doing a nerve glide) and making my hands in incredible pain for another week. Worth mentioning that I was also learning how to drive at the time with a teacher who shot my self esteem down to 0 and it isn't an activity I enjoy either. And so I saw another doctor again and then was told I had bilateral Carpal Tunnel and ulnar nerve compression, the former of which I was told to get a cortisone shot (which did nothing) or surgery (despite not being totally debilitating) and my ulnar nerve problem I was told to essentially just not flex my elbow ever.
So yeah, that's my story.
I suppose a break down of things in addition to reasons I think it may or may not be TMS.
So about five years ago i got what i presumed to be my first case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. During this time period i was in college, there was an event going on in mmo i was playing and I grinded it obsessively like all day every day during it for about a week straight. At the end of this week I also had to do something with a friend the night I was starting to feel bad wrist pain, and that ended up being incredibly stressful and taking a very long time and I think i ended up with terrible sleep that night as well. Then following this I took a final exam, and while writing for it my pain was at its most debilitating and I managed to power through it and was done for the semester.
Following that I went home, was basically unable to game or type or anything really and the task of writing was similarly impossible (though I did have to play a board game which involved writing and gave me great pain doing so.) I looked it up, figured i had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and then stopped all activity for like a week or two and my pain actually went away entirely and I was fine.
Two years ago, it reared its ugly head again. No longer in college but instead when I first had unexplainable chest pains that made me go to ER to learn that there was nothing actually wrong with me, and every doctor to assume it was heartburn, specifically GERD. I took off work for about a week, and during that time i played several games all at once while feeling pretty lowsy until I did a "just a little more" for one game and found myself unable to use my hands well for about a week. They hurt when i did anything, and i mean anything. This problem also resolved itself in about a week or two but this time the pain has persisted albeit in a more mild form that seems to ramp up with use, specifically computer, phone and pencil use.
Fast forward to February of this year where I overgamed again, hurt my hands again though much more mild then the previous two times, went to a doctor where they found no bone issues and my nerve test said there was nothing wrong. Went to PT where they gave me a sheet of paper talking about my posture and gave me two nerve glides and that was that. The pain got better as always but in March I noticed my small fingers started to cramp up very frequently. In addition, a few months ago i started to notice that my elbows and what felt like my entire ulnar nerve would flare up by itself, whenever i did more keyboard stuff and whenever I did my job (which was pushing shopping carts.)
Fast forward to a month ago, where I attempted to get into drawing and my hand cramped a ton during that, and so i attempted to fix that problem and ended up doing what I thought was pinching a nerve (because it happened when I was doing a nerve glide) and making my hands in incredible pain for another week. Worth mentioning that I was also learning how to drive at the time with a teacher who shot my self esteem down to 0 and it isn't an activity I enjoy either. And so I saw another doctor again and then was told I had bilateral Carpal Tunnel and ulnar nerve compression, the former of which I was told to get a cortisone shot (which did nothing) or surgery (despite not being totally debilitating) and my ulnar nerve problem I was told to essentially just not flex my elbow ever.
So yeah, that's my story.
I suppose a break down of things in addition to reasons I think it may or may not be TMS.
- I've had serious pain, numbness and tingling about four times in my life. All of which I probably had great periods of stress happening at the time.
- This pain happens largely when i'm typing, on my phone, or at my job. Most specifically though it affects my right hand the most when I use a mouse.
- The pain is generally localized to my hands, fingers, wrists, elbows and different parts of my forearm. I've also noticed having some neck pain and shoulder blade pain, which I just attributed to poor posture and the constant craning of my neck both to my monitor and my phone when I used it at work.
- The pain is consistent in the areas where it affects but it isn't exactly consistent with the frequency of use my hand, tasks that I use my hands with and the actual areas seem to jump around within that localization. Sometimes parts of my hand will cramp up, sometimes it'll feel like lightning is going through my wrist and finger. Etc.
- Similarly, i have moments where I am doing something I think is very important to help a friend out that takes 3-4 hours, every week, over the computer. Typically during this time my hands actually aren't that bad off, but when it reaches the 3rd hour, I start to get very stressed and angry and that is when I have my pain and tingling kick up.
- I am chronically online and have looked into these RSI disorders a lot and have a habit to jump the worst case scenario for my body. Not just with RSI's but in general.
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