Hi Marta,
I too have Hashimoto's and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in
both hands.
When I first started to show signs of carpal tunnel syndrome myself I
went to a neurologist right away and was told that I had the slightest
case he had ever seen but it got steadily worse. The steroid injections
did not work for me. By the time of the surgery on my right hand about
eight months later in July of 1994 it was not slight anymore!! On the
right side the pain went all the way up to my neck.
The orthopaedic surgeon was terrific!! By chance the surgeon I was
referred to by the neurologist was too busy to take me right away so I
went with someone else. This surgeon prefers to put his patients in a
hard cast rather than a removable one for a week after the initial big
gauze and plaster one right after surgery. This way the patient can not
remove the cast and do any damage.
If you do have the surgery, I can not recommend strongly enough that you
religiously follow the doctor's instructions and do your exercises!!!!
You need to keep rubbing lotion into that scar to keep it soft and do
your hand exercises to regain strength and mobility. My scar has almost
disappeared. Unless you know where to look you can not see it. There was
almost immediate relief afterwards.
Barb