tguaturbo

Hey All,

Somewhere around 2007-2008 I began switching wheels mounted with tires on a few different cars I owned at that time by myself and in partnership with my childhood buddy. Each car had at least 2 and sometimes even 3 sets of wheels with tires mounted for both looks/street and track duty. Well all that holding of 30-50 lbs suspending in mid air whilst trying to mount right onto the hub ended up doing my left wrist in.

2 years ago finally was fed up with the pain and saw a hand doc who said it was called De Quervains Syndrome Tenosenovitis. They also refer to it as "new mommy's thumb", "gamers thumb" among other nick names. The doc gave me a steroid shot and told me to resume my normal activites and so I did. Each time the pain went away for about 6 mos and so I had 2 shots that year.

Last year it came back and I went to another hand doc for a 2nd opinion and he called it the same and gave me a 3rd shot which lasted about 5 mos and then doing my normal beak flush and bleed work and changing out tires flared it up again. The doc said surgery is the next step and to be honest I am a bit nervous about some things I have read that can go wrong and really want to leave this as a last resort.

Taking Alleve 2 times per day helps take the edge off but it is by far a total pain free situation. I have quit taking the NSAID because I don't want to fry my organs so my question is has anyone else had this and been healed of it with or with out surgery? I am 42 and this began at 40 and is my non dominant hand which I fractured my thumb about 15 year ago so I am sure that has to have some contributing factor.

Tom

p997s123

I am an orthopedic surgeon and am very familiar with that procedure. Can be performed under local anesthesia and takes 20 minutes when performed properly. Should be able to resume normal activities in 3-4 weeks.

Darrick

Vonschmidt

Wow sorry to hear that but hope you get the surgery sooner than later.

tgavem

Sorry to hear Tom. Hope you get better soon

However, does it affect your steering input? Ie can I now pass you on the track? :-)

facelvega

Ditto to all above. For me was at age 52. After two rounds with my internist, went to the best guy at Med Center in Houston. He agreed with diagnosis, said that surgury was simple and highly effective. Since he was the ultimate guru on this, we agreed to try injection one more time to be sure. Based on his experience, he used a different steroid cocktail (two different drugs), and did a much more elaborate injection, moving and repositioning the needle several times to assure that the steroids went throughout the irritated narrow passage for the tendon. Totally rested the wrist for two weeks (actually put left arm in sling so I would not forget and use it - right handed). Pain free for 4 years now, and have resumed doing all the car stuff I did before.

While repeated steroid injections are not the answer long term, you might wish to try again with another specialist. You can always do surgery later.

I always had the feeling that it was lots of tire changes that pushed me over the edge, also. If the last injection had not worked, I was going to try using a wheel lift/dolly for tire changes, so that I would not be working hard during wheel changes. Raise the car until the wheel a few inches in the air. Push the wheel lift under the wheel, pump until it takes the wheel weight, then just roll the wheel away. Reverse to replace wheel. You are never straining to hold the wheel while you try to precisely line up the lugs.

Good luck!

Mikelly

Dude I've been dealing with tennis ELBOW for about 3 months now. It has seriously impacted most aspects of "daily" life and has slowed most of my progress in the shop to a crawl. Seek medical attention and follow doctors orders.

Mike

tguaturbo

Ditto for sure. My second opinion doc did the same shot gun pattern with the needle the 3rd go round. Not sure if he used a different cocktail as prior doc, but it was extremely sore for 1.5 weeks after all that stabbing but eventually became pain free.

Thanks for the info on the tire dolly as I will likely use that approach even after surgery has healed just to be on the safe side.

Tom

tguaturbo

Tell me about it bud. I have always liked to stay fit as I can and hit the gym or do classes at the gym mostly so I can eat what ever I want. No so anymore, I have really had to modify and even give up things like push ups and it is just plain depressing sometimes especially when having your hand on the wheel of your p car is painful!

Oh well, sounds like my time is up and I just need to do this surgery thing. I will probably be kicking myself for not having done it sooner 3-6 mos down the road.

Thanks for the support and feedback everyone!

Tom

C2 Turbo

Tell me about the pain and stiffness.

Hurt my left index finger (2nd) while playing cricket and was told had a slight fracture thru the PIP joint (1 st knuckle) and was advised Physiotherapy.

Well I kept experiencing lots of pain so 3 weeks later went back and saw the same general ortho and after an xray was told once again to contiue with the therapy.

Another 3 weeks went by and finally decided to go ahead and see a hand surgeon which I should have had to begin with.

An xray revelealed the cartilage in the joint almost gone. Finally 4 months after the injury I ended up getting a piece of bone (hammate) taken out from my wrist and placed in my joint with 2 pins. The Physiotherapy eroded the cartilage in my joint so I needed a piece of bone with a cartilage to help the joint.

A year later I am still in pain and seems like I will end up getting my joint fused and all that 'coz of the incompetence of the friggen ortho

Had he refered me out to an ortho sooner, I would have had no problem with my finger.

O well live and learn.