Hi! This is my first time posting on this sub so here we go.
I've been having CTS in my left (non-dominant) arm ever since October 2025. It all started one bad day where I was gripping my phone while lying down in bed. I suddenly felt this weird pain in my arm. The pain subsided in the following days, but then came back and has been in my arm ever since.
I had an X-ray, but it showed nothing significant in my left arm.
Anyway, I've been diagnosed by a doctor for CTS and so far have tried these:
- Arcoxia, ibuprofen
- Massage balls + massage gun + torque bar
- Stretches
- Night splinting for elbow
- 1 session of physiotherapy (which made it worse...the massage caused a flare-up)
- Changed to a makeshift standing desk at nighttime
So far, nothing has really worked -- they do help a bit, but my CTS has kinda stagnated of sorts, and is persistently mild to moderate.
I've been told by the doctor to get an MRI, but the cost of it is debatable to me + my CTS is arguably not the worst of the worst.
I'm just worried about the possibility of muscle atrophy (?) or it causing irreversible damage -- when I asked the physiotherapist and doctor, I didn't manage to get a straight answer on whether this would actually happen if I just left it as it is.
I was also thinking like, if I get an MRI, the follow-up would likely be a referral to a hand surgeon, but I don't know if surgery is a great idea given my 'moderate' case, even if it is persistent (I think the term for this is chronic?).
For now I'm just continuing my own conservative treatment and learning to live with it. Now I mainly feel pinky numbness and flashes of 'coldness' sometimes, together with some mild tingling occasionally + a tiny bit of tight feeling in the arm? On good days, I don't really notice the CTS. On bad days (like flare-ups), it's kinda devastating because I'm scared it will be permanent for life :(
Has anyone ever dealt with mild-moderate persistent CTS? What did you do? How are you now? Please, any advice is appreciated! :(