What's the difference...?

Question

How do you know if you have carpal tunnel in your hands versus arthritis? What's the difference? How do they feel different?
I'm 19 and my hands have been cramping up and hurting terribly. I get sharp pains in my hands and have absolutely lost all strength in my hands; I can't even open a soda bottle. This has been going on for quite some time, but the older I get the worse the pain gets.
I'm not sure if it's carpal tunnel or arthritis because I don't really know the difference between the two.

Answer 1

You are describing textbook symptoms of carpal tunnel. The only way to be sure is to have a doctor take an x-ray.

You need to change whatever it is you are doing or be faced with surgery and possible permanent damage. Here is a neat trick I found after suffering with this affliction. While learning to juggle with bean bags I noticed that my hand pain went away. It seems the movement of the bean bags was good therapy. Give it a try, it's cheaper than surgery! And find out what you are doing wrong and make changes.

Answer 2

Arthritis can start young, as there is this thing called juvenile arthritis! Mine started young, but like so many disorders it may not seem so bad compared to a person who is 100! Anyway, ask your doctor to check it out. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comes from using your wrist a lo, for stuff like typing at a computer. It can be fr the way you sit and how close you are to the keyboard, as well as from typing for too many hours! Try staying away from activities that hurt your wrist or stress it, and see if that helps for a few days/weeks. If you feel the pain more during hot or humid weather, o weather that is very cold, then you may have arthritis. There are more than one type of arthritis, so get it checked out. Also, carpal tunnel syndrome is treatable too, so ask your practitioner!

Answer 3

a simple test or two determines whether or not you have carpal tunnel or arthritis.

Do you do alot of activities that require continual repetitive movement, like playing on the computer? Does weather affect your hand?

If the answers are yes and no then most likely it is carpal tunnel and is treatable. Most of the time depending on severity the doctor usually requires you to do a bunch of hand exercises.

If it arthritis then you just sorta have to learn to live with it.

Answer 4

Sounds like carpal tunnel, but of course only a qualified doc could say for sure. See a neurologist if possible. If caught early enough, it's treatable without surgery. My neuro put me in wrist splints and had me take prescription strength vitamin B6. I thought she was a quack at the time, but it actually worked.

Most cases of carpal tunnel are caused by repetitive movements of the hands (for instance, typing, playing guitar, knitting) or by extensive exposure to vibration (jackhammer operators etc).

Regardless of the cause of the pain, it's very important to have it evaluated by a doctor. The earlier treatment is started, the better the outcome.

Answer 5

I'm a lot older than you and I've had both.
Neither have anything to do with a misplaced vein.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in my case was caused by sitting at the wrong height in relation to a PC keyboard so my hands were in effect bent backwards so the tendons in my wrist were rubbing heavily on the wall of the tunnel in which they move and it felt like a bit of rough string being pulled through a curved tube, even the doctor grimaced when he examined my wrists.
Arthritis was just a constant nagging pain in my arm but I could still use it, analgesics relieved the arthritis but not the CTS.
Best see your GP.

Answer 6

I had carpal tunnel and your symptoms sound like mine, but I also had numbness and tingling in my hands. The doctor can do I test in the office to see if what you have is carpal tunnel. I would go to the doctor and have the test done.

Answer 7

With (my) carpal tunnel there was a lump on the top of my hand from like between my wrist bones. But go check with your doctor for sure.

Answer 8

I think arthritis is more in your joints, while carpal tunnel in your tendons. But I'm not a doctor. And proper support can ease ct, while it doesn't help a.

Answer 9

I have carpal tunnel and my family doctor sent me to a neurologist and they do a test that determines if you have it and how severe it is and they with make a recommendation.

Answer 10

carpal tunnel is a vein connected worng while arthritis is years and years of pain