Carpal Tunnel

[trackman]

Has anyone else got carpal tunnel from scrolling?  Never thought much about the repetitive motion of turning the clamp on the blade as many times as you do. Getting the stitches out on the 4th then back to making dust. 

[meflick]

Sorry to hear you had to have surgery. I have not seen many if any who else ndicated problems caused by their scrolling. Sorry it seems to have caused you an issue, hope it heals well and you can get back to the Saw soon.

[Karl S]

Yep same here, going in on Jan 2nd for my surgery, sure will be glad to have it done! I can relate to you my friend.

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

It could have been many things that led to that. I see it alot in my trade from turning a screwdriver. My Brother had it done. Need to make some better blade clamp knobs.

[kmmcrafts]

Maybe time to upgrade your saw to the new Jet.. yeah you have the funky barrel clamp for the lower clamp...  but if you're a bottom feeder.. that top clamp requires no turning of any knobs.. just flip the lever..

 

Hope you heal quickly and are able to make some sawdust very soon... 

[Oldmansbike]

I had both hands done 30 years ago. Factory work. It's now showing up again not too bad yet though.

[Rockytime]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

 <SNIP> but if you're a bottom feeder.. that top clamp requires no turning of any knobs.. just flip the lever..

 

On my Hawk I flip the lever but still have a knob to tighten the clamp. Is this something new?

[WayneMahler]

I have had both sides done. Mine was not due to scrolling though. I was a mechanic for 45 years and it took it's toll on me greatly. I will say if it turns out as well as mine did, it can be a life changer. Wishing you the best of all with it.

[kmmcrafts]

8 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

On my Hawk I flip the lever but still have a knob to tighten the clamp. Is this something new?

Yeah Jet saws changed a few years ago and they have a upper blade clamp that the tension lever also clamps the blade all in one step..

[OCtoolguy]

I would like to know what the symptoms are like so I know what to look for. At this point, I don't have any pain but I don't want to either so it might be nice to know what to look for.

 

[trackman]

56 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

I would like to know what the symptoms are like so I know what to look for. At this point, I don't have any pain but I don't want to either so it might be nice to know what to look for.

 

My fingers would go numb and my grip would go away and drop things. 

[Rockytime]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

Yeah Jet saws changed a few years ago and they have a upper blade clamp that the tension lever also clamps the blade all in one step..

I guess I should learn to read a bit more closely. I had thought the Hawk had a new type clamp. MY BAD!

[bandaideman]

I had thought I was developing Carpal tunnel but when I went to the Doctor it was determined arthritis. Not surprising since It is most of the body. One knee replaced and the other soon will be done. Pain for me is in the thumb joints and worsened after scrolling. I think besides the thumb screws I used at Dewalt in the beginning and the tensioning and untensioning would result in pain in joints as well on the Ex 21. Splints help a small amount but not much. 

[orangeman]

Yup, had the Carpal Tunnel deal years ago. BUT, do to pruning too many apple and peach trees. Plus potting up cacti and succulents in the greenhouse. CT surgery in the early 90's.

Been scrolling since 2000 and no problems yet. And I am in production mode big time with puzzles. Wear out a DeWalt 788 in 12 months.

The biggest problem is sanding re  CT - still no symptoms yet.

bb

 

[Scrappile]

I use to have CT pain, never bad enough for surgery, but it finally went away and now Arthur has move in.. He is taking over my old body!!!

[Wichman]

3 hours ago, octoolguy said:

I would like to know what the symptoms are like so I know what to look for. At this point, I don't have any pain but I don't want to either so it might be nice to know what to look for.

 

The biggest clue for carpal tunnel is that it only affects the thumb, index finger and middle finger. It does not affect the two outside fingers (these nerves don't pass though the carpal tunnel)

I was diagnosed 30 yrs ago, never had surgery, stopped doing the things that annoyed it (lots of hammering, extended periods of touch typing), scrolling doesn't seem to bother me much (your mileage may very).

[Karl S]

5 minutes ago, Wichman said:

The biggest clue for carpal tunnel is that it only affects the thumb, index finger and middle finger. It does not affect the two outside fingers (these nerves don't pass though the carpal tunnel)

I was diagnosed 30 yrs ago, never had surgery, stopped doing the things that annoyed it (lots of hammering, extended periods of touch typing), scrolling doesn't seem to bother me much (your mileage may very).

Well I have to disagree with you, My Dr said I have a severe case, and all four of my fingers are numb, There is Burning and tingling especially in my little finger and ring finger the other two are bothered,  but not as severely,  so I suppose it differs in some cases. All I know is it sure isn't enjoyable at all.

 

[Wichman]

26 minutes ago, Karl S said:

Well I have to disagree with you, My Dr said I have a severe case, and all four of my fingers are numb, There is Burning and tingling especially in my little finger and ring finger the other two are bothered,  but not as severely,  so I suppose it differs in some cases. All I know is it sure isn't enjoyable at all.

 

Good luck on the surgery. ".

[trackman]

Mine was all fingers also. Hasn’t been numb sence surgery. 

[Sycamore67]

Best advice is when you have hand or wrist pain, numbness or tingling...see a doctor.

I wore both of my wrists out and had carpel tunnel in one hand.  I found a great orthopedic hand surgeon who rebuilt things.  Life is much better now.

If your hand get pain, numb or tingling when doing something it is time to try some other way.

[ike]

I have it I got it in the Machine shop. I have never had surgery It's not that bad, but I use a carpel tunnel brace , and I use the lever that Steve Good has on his Long list of patterns. now it only bothers me if I saw for a long period. I usually take a 1/2 hour brake every couple hours. I have had 3 operations for cancer and not ready for a nother one.I had a check up on the 21st and am cancer free now.

IKE

[Hudson River Rick]

I had CT surgery performed on my left hand about 30 years ago.  I another life, I owned a custom picture framing business and every day I used to cut mat boards on a manual cutter, I got to the point where I couldn't hold a pencil.  I went to a hand specialist to do the surgery, and he told me thatI should stay away from repetative cutting strokes for 3 months, but since there was no one else to run the shop, it was a NO CAN DO situation.  I started cutting mats again after about 4 days and the surgery only lasted for about a year...not the doctors fault, it was my fault. After that episode, I invested in a computerized mat cutter and that worked out well.  

Bottom line, try to do what the doctor advises.

Hope your recovery is complete.

[OCtoolguy]

6 hours ago, ike said:

I have it I got it in the Machine shop. I have never had surgery It's not that bad, but I use a carpel tunnel brace , and I use the lever that Steve Good has on his Long list of patterns. now it only bothers me if I saw for a long period. I usually take a 1/2 hour brake every couple hours. I have had 3 operations for cancer and not ready for a nother one.I had a check up on the 21st and am cancer free now.

IKE

That's great Ike. It seems like the big C is what gets to too many people. We can put up with anything else.

 

[OCtoolguy]

20 hours ago, Karl S said:

Well I have to disagree with you, My Dr said I have a severe case, and all four of my fingers are numb, There is Burning and tingling especially in my little finger and ring finger the other two are bothered,  but not as severely,  so I suppose it differs in some cases. All I know is it sure isn't enjoyable at all.

 

Wow! What you are describing is what I have going on in my right foot. I have what they call Morten's neuroma and it affects the two toes next to my big toe. When I stand for too long, those two goes go numb but at the same time, it feels like they are on fire. I have to sit down, take my shoe off and massage my foot in the area just behind those two toes. I have put off having the surgery because the podiatrist said I'd be laid up for two months and no driving. That won't work. I'd go nuts just sitting. Anybody else have that?

 

[SCROLLSAW703]

Howdy,

I've got CT in both wrists myself. Have had for a number of years. I went to our family Sawbones about it on account of the pain was going up the inside of my right forearm, thumb, and all four fingers, and deep in my left wrist startin' up my left forearm, thumb, and 3 fingers. My Sawbones has given me several Cortisone injections in both wrists for CT. The injections help for awhile, dependin' on how much drivin' or sawin' or mechanicin' I done between injections. 

Our family Sawbones found me a Sawbones that specializes in CT & CT surgery. She ran her tests, and asked what I done for a livin' at the time. When I told her I drove OTR, and had been drivin' all my life, and was also a hobby woodworker/scroll sawyer, she told me It was pointless to do surgery while I was still drivin' because the steering wheel and shifter would just create the same situation all over again. 

So, since I've retired, our Sawbones is after me to get the surgery done every time I have to go see her for another cortisone injection. Maybe one of these days, but in the near future.

Sawdust703(brad)