(BPT) - For Simone Duven, using her hands isn't optional. Paralyzed from the waist down, she relies on them to move her wheelchair, transfer in and out of bed and shift her weight to help prevent pressure sores. When pain began shooting through both wrists, even everyday movements were tough.
The pain kept getting worse, sometimes feeling like a vise tightening inside her wrist. She often woke with numb hands and never knew which movement might set off the pain. "My hands are everything," she said.
Eventually, Simone was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a condition caused by pressure or compression on the median nerve as it travels through a narrow wrist passageway, causing numbness and tingling in the wrists and fingers. CTS is especially common with wheelchair users, as it requires repetitive arm and wrist motions that can cause major strain on the median nerve.
When Surgery Didn't Feel Like an Option
Heat provided some short-term relief, but Simone worried that surgery could jeopardize her independence. With traditional carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgeries, recovery can take weeks to months, potentially requiring time in a rehabilitation hospital and separate recoveries for each wrist.
While visiting her orthopedic clinic, Simone heard about ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release (UGCTR) using UltraGuideCTR® from Sonex Health. By attending an informational session, she learned that physicians can perform the minimally invasive technique through a small wrist incision, using ultrasound guidance to visualize critical anatomy. It could be performed with local anesthesia and that she likely could recover at home rather than in a rehabilitation facility. That made a big difference to Simone, who decided to move forward.
An Accessible Procedure
Before her procedure, Simone asked her physician, Dr. Steven Niedermeier of TMI Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery, if she could remain in her wheelchair since transfers onto exam tables can be difficult. He agreed and positioned a table beside her chair. Throughout the procedure, Simone talked with her physician and watched the ultrasound images as he worked. She felt like a participant in her own care.
Quickly Getting Back to What She Loves
Simone chose to have both wrists treated during the same visit. Afterward, she was able to transfer from her wheelchair into the car for the ride home. It was "pretty painful," but she was happy to be headed home rather than to a rehabilitation facility, possibly in an ambulance.
The first weekend was challenging for Simone. She notes that if she had to do it again, she would have done one wrist at a time, "Even if I had done one wrist at a time, the amount of recovery time would still be next to nothing compared to what it would be if I had to have open carpal tunnel surgery."
Despite the first weekend being tough, a few days after the procedure, Simone was already becoming self-sufficient again.
A Return to Independence
Today, she no longer wakes up with numb hands or spends her days worrying about wrist pain. She's back to painting and doing arts and crafts without her wrists bothering her. And as a self-described "clean freak," she's happy to be able to sweep, mop and do laundry without the pain that once made everyday chores difficult.
For others who may be putting off treatment because they're worried about recovery, Simone has some simple advice: "Don't be afraid of it."
And when she thinks about what the procedure meant for her independence, she puts it best: "My sense of autonomy remained mine."
