I have recently learned that I have problems with carpal tunnel and didn't know how bad until I got to the 4th tier (16-inch round) of my daughter's wedding cake. I was piping #2 dots on vines and had a lot left to do when the pain became unbearably excruciating. I prayed to finish and was able but I'm afraid to do any more decorating and I love it so! If I had thinned the icing, the dots would not be possible. Are there suggestions to help make icing more bearable without having the surgical procedure?

keep very little icing in the bag at a time, rest often and try those fingerless gloves, you can find these at walmarts they are like an ace bandage type thing and will help to support your hands and wrist.

The surgery was the best thing i could have done. I still have to rest my hand but it doesnt hurt nearly as much as it did

STRETCH. Stretch out the forearm area. This will lengthen the tendons, and ligaments again. Carpel tunnel is because these have shortened over time. To stretch just pull your hand back over the thop of the forearm. Do this a couple times a day.

Mike

I was just discussing this with my son this morning. I'm in my 50's and am just starting to get carpal tunnel. I can't imagine what my son's generation is going to deal with, with their texting, computers, games, etc.

Wear a wrist splint during the night. I also wore one while decorating-it helped a lot.

Ibuprofin and ice to reduce swelling.

Pick up heavy objects (like your batter bowl) with BOTH hands.

Go see your orthopedic doctor!

I have had trouble with carpel tunnel for years. I haven't taken the time to have surgery because I am a shop owner and I haven't had the time to take a bunch of time off.

For years, I have been wearing a brace at night (which is when I have the most problems.) It keeps the wrist straight so it does not bend and press the nerve in the tunnel. It helps immensely.

I bought the braces at my local drug store where there are knee braces, etc. Some braces are actually labeled for carpel tunnel.

For me the carpal tunnel like symptoms (I don't have traditional carpal tunnel - only mid in my right hand but experience in both hands) but my symptoms behave just like carpal tunnel. The median nerve being compressed causes the symptoms. Mine isn't just a wrist compression. The median nerve (generally speaking) actually runs from your neck to your fingers. I hold my stress in my neck and shoulders and when the muscles in those regions tighten it constricts the median nerve causing numbness. So in addition to wearing braces at night I have to make sure my workspace is at the correct height and stretch my neck and shoulder muscles as well. The more stressed I get the worse my hands get.

Sorry so long.

HTH

Judi

Thanks for everyone's replies. I feel relief just finding your support! You've given me great advice that I'll use.

I was just at my doctor's Monday for the same thing...I'm not yet 40 (OK...I will be in February)...Anyway, here's what we're doing for now:

1. Ice both by putting icepack between wrists and holding, thus icing both hands at the same time. About 20 minutes each night.
2. Use the stabilizer, not the compression piece. My doctor told me to try to limit the movement, especially when sleeping.
3. He gave me a prescription for Celebrex.

It's all been helping a bit. I'm hoping not to have to go the surgical route. Unfortunately, I've been typing since I was 12.

Paul

I had the surgery on my left hand years ago. Actually 2 years before I started decorating cakes. The best thing I ever did. However I now have it in my right hand and am trying everything not to have the surgery. I am just not willing to be without the use of my right hand for a month. I wear a night brace and also do exercises so far this has worked for almost 2 years. If the right hand worsens to the point these remedies stop working I' have it done.

I just had the surgery. For me, it was brought on by my pregnancies. It never left after my second pregnancy and once I started doing cakes and cookies more regularly, the pain worsened. I did the wrist guard, ice and ibuprophen route, but it was getting to the point that my hand would go numb pushing a stroller or grocery cart. After my surgery (on Halloween) I was back decorating w/in 2 weeks. Luckily, I only had cookies so no big lifting. My first cake was about 4 weeks after surgery and I was fine! I just had to be more cautious about hand washing - I wore gloves b/c of the stitches which are only in for 2 weeks. I absolutely say get the surgery if you can afford the time/$$.

Has anyone tried those hand and wrist gloves that Wilton has? (they are discontinuing them) I guess other places would carry something similar. I sprained my right wrist a few weeks ago and I don't want to/can't wear that big brace the doc gave me--(I don't have to wear anymore.) I am basically just looking for some support. I too have the tingles and numbness from years of typing and computer work. I do rest when I am decorating. Thx!

Oh, honey, get the surgery! It's so quick and easy! You heal really fast. The incisions they make now days are extremely small. Both my mother and I had double carpal tunnel surgery (we each had it in both arms) and you can barely see any of our scars. Mine are about 1/2 an inch long. The sooner you get the surgery, the better as this is a progressive condition. My mom waited about 5 years to get the surgery after her Dr. first wanted to do it, and she is left with some risidual numbness and loss of fine motor skill. I had mine done as soon as I was diagnosed (I was only 28 at the time) and I have made 100% recovery. Make sure you have an orthopedic surgeon do it, btw.

If u have this problem if u will take vitamin b6 this will help a lot if not stop it.It will take a few days to see the difference.But it will.It bothered me so much i laid awake and cried at nite.This stopped it OI was a hairdresser at the time.

This is a great thread. I too have problems but they are not always present. I only seem to have problems when I use my hands a lot. My biggest thing is when I wake up my hands are extremely weak (I can't even pull a cover up off the floor) but even this symptom which I have had for years has seemed to subside. When I do a lot with my hands I get the swelling and pain. Ice has been the best thing for me and resting my hands of course.

I tried the hand braces for sleeping but for whatever reason it made it much worse for me and I would wake up with cramps in my hands.

I have not attmepted buttercream decorating yet because of the problems I have had with my hands. I plan to in the future but I am worried about my hands so this thread is a great resource for tips.

Oh thank you all, now i dont feel so lonely - hooray!!!! lol
I suffer from carpel tunnel in both my wrists and hands.
I really suffer a lot, as my cakes are my work!!
I have found that wearing a wrist guard, that covers the wrist and the top of my hand, and i find this gives good support - but i only use it when im not icing, But i know what you mean about the pain when icing large cakes, or modelling etc.

I was told by my house doctor not to have the surgery yet, but to wait till it gets really bad, but now i think i will re consider, and maybe see if i can get it done this year some time!!

Thanks everyone for the advice - even though it wasnt for me directly, it sure has helped me too

Have a wonderful day

Another tip is to pipe decorations with royal icing. I found that it can be thinner in consistency than buttercream yet still hold up because royal icing is so stiff. I don't have carpal tunnel but I am developing arthritis in my hands. Squeezing buttercream kills my hands and I found royal icing doesn't hurt so much. All of the stretching suggestions sound like a good idea too.

I'm going to Google some stretches right away!

Three out of five decorators have had the surgery at my work.

For the girls at work, the surgery has worked great. One decorator said it felt like an elastic snapping. Another waited until her hands were black and swollen to twice their size at night - she can't believe she waited that long until she got it done. However, I did talk to one friend (outside of work), where the surgery did not help.

I definitely need to start stretching more often!

I thought that I had carpal tunnel, since my hands would go numb and tingle, etc. Turns out I have bad decorating posture, like some of the other people here When you stand hunched over a counter or a sink all day, your shoulders pull forward and the muscles on the front of your shoulders shorten. That pulls everything forward, so stretch that out by pulling your shoulders back and it can help. The forearm stretches help a lot, too.

You might want to try going to a good physical therapist before you have surgery, since someone who's well-trained can show you some stretches that can help, and might also be able to do some deep-muscle massage on the back of your shoulders. Make sure you go to someone trained, not a "spa" massage place that won't give you the deep-muscle stuff. My PT refers to that kind of massage as a "fluff and buff."

Also, sleeping flat on your back can help, since that will keep you from bending your arms into weird positions while you sleep on your side.