In reply to crisp:
I've had it for a long time and find it flares up but then settles.
Initially (about 2/3 yrs ago?) I thought the burning in my fingers was arthritis as my mother's hands have loads and my top joints are getting quite mishapen. I think this is relevant because it meant when I was told it was CPS, (after I had constant pins and needles so actually went to gp), I was really relieved and by comparison not worried at all. My GP is of the less is more school and a climber so advised to just see what happens. I said I'll stop climbing if my arms are going to fall off, otherwise - I'm climbing; he agreed to warn me if my arms were going to fall off.
Fast forward a year and I was back at the gp because I had a shooting pain down my left arm when I went to the toilet or ate dinner. Oddly, at the surgery I had the same pain - after some head scratching we worked out my day only had food times when I sat with my feet on the floor - and the toilet, and the GP surgery! I was given a card for physio with some kind of suspected trapped nerve issue but it resolved with the naproxen prescribed.
Fast forward another yr or so to last summer. I was learning to lead climb indoors and climbing quite hard (for me!). One night I went to clip and thought I had cramp, my left hand was like hurty sausages of fumbleness, and, as is the way, this was not the best of times for it to happen. I got clipped by looking at my hand, but lowered off and got quizzed what happened. I said cramp, I thought cramp but it hadn't felt like cramp.
Sharp pain, lack of dexterity, pins and needles just happened lots after that, like CPS in right but very bad in my left arm. I carried on climbing but shaking out was replaced by letting my left arm dangle straight wherever I could, making interesting clipping decisions as either I'd clip with no feeling or hang on with the left making it worse later . At it's worst I couldn't plait my daughters hair if I'd dried it - drying with a hairdryer meant a bent arm for more than a few minutes and in turn this would leave me with a hand that couldn't plait silky fresh washed hair! I looked like Kevin the teenager at work, arms swinging low at every opportunity!
Back to GP and physio! Here's where my goldfish memory doesn't pay. What I was told was that the tunnel in your wrist actually runs to your neck and something called 'double crush' (I think) got mentioned and a possible compression c3 (again - disclaimer for gold fish brain - it was my neck not my butt if I have the numbers wrong!). I was a little perturbed, maybe even actually worried. I was told to rest, so I did, at least as often as I can find resting spots whilst climbing! More things were planned and I was passed on for longer term physio - being the NHS this meant waiting.
Whilst I got used to the fact my funny bone had taken up the role of full time comedian and adapted my climbing around rests wherever a route allowed things slowly eased. I don't think I realised how slowly or by how much till my other appointments came round. I could still trace on my arms where pins and needles/pain was but my hand was no longer numb and the pain was interesting more than distressing. Thankfully the physio was also less is more and we agreed there seemed to be clear improvement which warranted a wait and see approach.
I tried taking folic acid as I had a preowned stockpile from forgetful pregnancy. I read online it might help, doubted it but as I had some I figured I may as well. I still very much doubt this did anything but it was alongside the above so seems fair to mention.
Over the last year things have improved enormously, I have very few symptoms, none enough to worry me. Because in my case it seems to flare and settle I'm much less worried and would be very slow to have operations. There's only once I can think of that I've been scarily aware of it - I bought a weight vest and wearing it to the car my whole arm went numb, sold it a day later!
I suspect there's lots of different types but if I'd had a flappable GP I could have been pushed towards an op. I think I've certainly dealt with it at a pretty bad stage and still managed to climb, albeit differently. For a variety of reasons I still take rests on routes where they are there so maybe I'm a little easier on myself too.
I've typed all of this without numb fingers just a slightly warm ring finger - and no straight arm breaks! That would have been impossible a yr ago.
