Re: 5 week Post op incision soreness

In Reply to: 5 week Post op incision soreness posted by LP on January 08, 2004 at 15:46:07:

: I read the post from yesterday regarding incision soreness from yesterday.

: I had the carpal tunnel surgery on 12/3. For the past few weeks, it feels like a paper cut when anything touches it. The incision is healed but the top layer of skin on both sides is open.

: Also, If I extend the thumb out to far or lift anythin with any kind of weight I have a shooting pain in the incision.

: To add to the problem, I fell hard on it (with the brace on) on Christmas. I fell up the stairs. (what a dork!) I saw the doctor the next day for about 10 seconds and he said I probably just iritated it. I had an appointment at the same time as my son who has a huge hand injury. Son's visit was much more important. He severed 3 and a half tendons in his hand and had surgery the week before. UGH! Car accident.

: So are any of the feelings I feel normal? I have been applying vitamin E daily. I am suppossed to take the brace off 1/14. I feel more comfrtable with it on. Don't see doctor again until 1/26.

: LuAnne

My os doesn't want me using a brace, I'm 3 wks postop, he says that not using one and just watching what you do results in less stiffness. I can agree, based on how it feels.
You might want to read my post about the skin hypersensitivity thing, I and others had good ideas on dealing with it. Also, some of the incision pain can be from adhesions formed as the tissues heal. My os said that massaging across the scar line, not with it, will break up the adhesions and result in less pain with movement. I've been rubbing it pretty strongly for only 3 days, and the pain I had at the wrist crease isn't as bad. Use the vitamin E like a massage oil and massage it as much as you can stand. That might help. If you're not doing exercises with the fingers and thumb, then you're probably going to have pain in the area near the incision as you push the thumb toward the limits of the range of motion you have. I've been doing exercises from a sheet that they gave me, and I still feel a pull at the incicion when I extend the thumb out, but it's slowly getting better.