I thought I was all finished with hand problems after my
(successful) surgery for Carpal Tunnel on both hands. However, a new
thing has cropped up – basal thumb joint arthritis – which results
in wearing down the cartilage in the thumb joint where it meets the
wrist. This results in no cushioning between the bones – it is very
painful, and I couldn’t do any real work with my hands for some time.
Surgery on one hand was very successful-- although the recovery was
lengthy-and the other needs to be done as soon as possible,
Apparently this came strictly from wear and tear on my hands –
making jewelry, stained glass, needlework, and all the other hand
work I enjoy. I agree with the notion of fixing the mechanical things
that can be fixed. Sometimes delaying that ends up making things much
worse. When my left hand was healed, the Hand Surgeon asked me please
not to let the other hand get as bad as the first one. He also said
that any exercise I might do would only make it worse. When I
googled it I was surprised to find that it was not uncommon among
people who work with their hands – beaders, crocheters, etc.
If anyone wants more info on this, you can contact me directly.
Sandra