Amazon.com Review
Sharon Butler was working as a massage therapist and Hellerwork practitioner when she developed carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Unable to sleep through the night because of the pain and concerned about her livelihood, she built upon her knowledge of connective tissue and developed a series of stretching exercises to gently relieve the tension in her body. After daily stretching in this way, her pain soon subsided. To prove that these exercises weren't just a fluke, Butler intentionally overworked her body to bring back her symptoms. While this may not have been the smartest move, her stretching program again relieved her pain.

The magic behind her powerful exercises is their focus on fascial tissue. Fascia, which is stronger than steel, holds the body together. It wraps around muscle fibers, bones, and tendons. (If you've ever looked at an uncooked piece of chicken and noticed the glistening white layer over the meat, you've seen fascia.) In people who overwork their bodies, the fascia hardens, a natural response to prevent future injury. Unfortunately, this stiffness worsens with repeated insults to the body. Muscles, nerves, and tendons tense up and inflame even more and may even adhere to each other. Metabolic waste products can build up and become trapped instead of being carried away by the lymph system, and even more pressure is placed on the affected body tissues.

Enter Butler's exercises. The book is arranged to let you pick and choose the correct stretches to suit your needs. Too much typing, guitar playing, or gardening? Stiff neck, tingling fingers, sore upper arms, or all three? However you developed your repetitive strain injury and whatever your upper-body symptoms (or if you're smart and you'd like to prevent such problems), there are multiple stretches in Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to suit your needs. The book is arranged to help users develop a personalized stretching program with more than 40 stretches for the upper body, forearms, wrists, fingers, and thumbs to choose from. Butler thoroughly explains the importance of stretching and the correct (and incorrect) way to do it, and the exercises are lucidly illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Carpal Tunnel Book
This is very helpful to me as I am facing Carpal Tunnel surgery.The exercises provided will be so helpful following surgery.

Release the Pain
This book was written by a massage therapist who no doubt has had a lot of experience dealing with repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel. A key idea of the book is that tight tissues, particularly the fascia, are responsible for your pain and symptoms. The cure then, is to stretch them out and get things back to normal. The book intends to accomplish this goal by taking you through a series of stretches for your particular symptomatic area.

A major strength of this book is its sheer ease of using- in other words, its laid out extremely well. The stretching technique is very well explained and the bulk of the book consists of pictures of stretches that you can do for your troubled areas. Additionally, I like the fact that the author discusses the topic of your posture- which is very important because it could be contributing to your problem AND correcting it will help keep you out of trouble!

All-in-all a great resource for people suffering from repetitive strain injuries- and not just for the infamous carpal tunnel- I could see this book being of good use for a lot of other aches and pains as well. Also recommend Treat Your Own Tennis Elbow for those looking for a good resource on that particular condition.

Give Sharon a hand.......
I had taken a fall on my shoulder, at Venice skatepark. That happened 3 months ago and my hand was still tingly. Being a drummer this became a bit of an issue for me. Needless to say, I bought this book and in just the first 2-3 days since I have been doing exercises, I already see improvement. Thanks for getting my hands back for me Sharon!

Computer Programmer Aches and Pains
I am a computer programmer and have been suffering increasingly from pains in my hands, wrists, and forearms as a result of coding.My daughter, an Acupuncturist, recommended this book and said that many of her clients had benefited greatly from it.She cautioned me to read the introduction closely, since that would help me understand the approach and techniques involved.

I followed her advice and after a particularly stressful and painful day (and subsequent achy night) I performed the exercises suggested for my particular symptoms.The relief was dramatic.Most of my pain was gone after I did the exercises, and only partially returned the following day.The book says that you will need some follow-up, and I have, but at least I now have an effective way to deal with a condition I was afraid might adversely affect me in my profession.

Nicely written, still waiting to see if the exercises work.
I like this book, and have been using it quite faithfully recently, after buying it a few weeks ago.It is nicely written, has good illustrations, and if it works, it will be fantastic!I recommend trying it. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide offers computer users who suffer from repetitive strain injury an effective program for self-care. It explains the symptoms, prevention, and treatment of RSIs and also addresses the often-overlooked root causes of RSIs. This holistic program treats the entire upper body with ergonomics, exercise, and hands-on therapy, increasing the likelihood that surgery and drugs may be avoided. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Everything I need to know
I can't say enough positive things about this book.At first the amount of information and the detail is overwhelming; but it does contain everything I need to know about my condition and seems to be written just for me.I have been reading and re-reading it, one section at a time, in an effort to learn all I need to know to defeat my neck and shoulder trouble.Even though I realize that recovery isn't instant, it has been comforting to know that I have all of this information at hand.

Seeing benefits after only two weeks
Years of heavy computer use in the home and the office finally began to take their toll on my body, to the point where I wondered if I would be able to continue doing computer based work. I would go home with my wrists burning and numbness in my index finger.

Something had to change. The doctor gave me two options: surgery or medication. But having read that the success rate for carpal tunnel surgery is less than 30%, I decided to explore other options, and bought this book. Two weeks later and things are getting better.

The authors really opened my eyes to the fact that wrist and finger pain are the symptoms - the cause of the pain could be anywhere in your upper body. There is a very detailed introduction to the physiology of the upper body, and how nerves, muscles, ligaments and tendons are all interconnected. At least half the book is dedicated to explaining the cause of RSI. The second half tells you how to treat it. Based on their advice, I have taken these four steps.

1) Reduce the amount of time spent on the computer - seemingly obvious, but how many people ignore this?
2) Incorporate frequent rest breaks into my daily routine. (I have a great free open source program called workrave that tells me to take a "microbreak" every three minutes).
3) Stretching - before, during and after using the computer.
4) Strength training, particularly for the shoulders. Despite being a regular gym goer, I realized that I had neglected certain parts of the back and shoulders.

My guess is that 1,2 and a bit of 3 have made the difference so far. Two weeks isn't long enough to see benefits from the strength training, but I'll continue to do it and hope for the best.

The authors are surprisingly humble. They explain that there is still a lot to learn about RSI and there is no quick fix. Nevertheless, they have proven to me that, if caught early enough, RSI can be controlled.

The manuscript would have benefited from a professional editor to remove a few of the amateur writing idiosyncrasies, so for that I give it four stars instead of five.

Did what doctors and PT couldn't!
I have been a programmer and heavy computer user for around 10 years and for the last 2 have been having mild back pain, but didn't think much of it.6 months ago I started getting pain and numbness in my fingers, hands and wrists so I went in to my doctor.He assumed I had injured them somehow and put me on steroids, and then anti-inflammatories.After being on drugs for 2 months I figured it wasn't helping and went in to PT.He treated my symptoms and worked with my hands and wrists for a month with little improvement.The pain began interfering with my ability to sleep, and was very discouraging considering I make my living on a computer!About that time I saw this book on Amazon, read the reviews and decided it was worth a try.Within a week of reading this book and working through the stretches and strength building exercises in it, the pain and numbness began to reside!I then went in for PT on my back instead of my hands as the book recommends, and have since greatly improved my posture and lengthened the amount of time I can be at a computer without the pain setting in!The book offers no quick fix, but it took years to break my body down so far so it will probably take months to recover.This book has given me results that no doctor or PT could!If you sit at a computer all day, you need to read this book!Don't let your body collapse as far as I did before you do something about it!It won't heal on its own!

Pinpoint accuracy on a relatively new kind of injury
Suparna and Jack have given a huge gift to the software development industry.Reading this book back in 2002 helped me begin my journey to recovery after I had gotten to the point of not being able to throw a football to my son.I fully recovered in about a year.Unfortunately, this year (2008), I got so excited about a project at work that I got laser-focused for about 4 months and have re-injured myself.My problem is (and I suspect also for other RSI sufferers) is that I don't pay attention to my posture and ergonomics when I'm well.So I pulled this book off the bookshelf and have begun again.The medical profession still seems in the dark on this subject.For others out there who have the "all or nothing" personality, I also recommend, The DaVinci Method by Garrett Loporto.This will help you understand how some people get laser-focused which is often when these injuries occur.

Dangerous information that leads you down an endless path of pain
I, like many of the reviewers on this site, thought this was the best book written on the subject of RSI.It was my bible for over a year.I bookmarked the pages about stretches and exercises and read them daily.I brought it to my physical therapist, and used the information as a justification and proof of my very real 'physical' injury.The book explained to me and others why my 'poor' posture and 'over' exertion were the cause of regenerative dispositions in my body.

I am a cello player, computer gamer, and person that tends to push themselves very hard.

As far as i am concerned, there is only one part of this book worth the two stars I give it.This is the chapter that briefly mentions in a veryskeptical manner a man named John E. Sarno.

I laughed at the description of this Doctor who claimed that the pain was caused by emotions.It was a con and placebo if I ever heard one.

After 2 years of studious, dedicated, fully applied physical therapy, and using the concepts in this book, I was in more pain than I was when I first read it.How could this happen?My anger about my lack of recovery fueled my rage.

Then, my doctor, a specialist in RSI, recommended Sarno's book to me.I remembered reading about Sarno in Damany's book.Could that really have any basis in reality?

So I read Sarno's book and I got better in a week.Send me a message if you don't believe me and I'll tell you again.ONE WEEK.

So, this book, like all the other books on the subject, is completely wrong.It never helped me, it only prolonged my 'injury' for years.I really wish the writers of this book would begin to look at facts rather than assumptions about cures.

Don't read this, don't recommend it.I keep a copy in my library so I am familiar with the literature that misinforms and is contrary to the truth.

Read "The Mind-body Prescription" by John Sarno.

Good luck. ... Read more

Product Description

Covers all aspects of CTS: diagnosis - management - outcome assessment

Abundantly illustrated

Product Description
IT IS READY! The FINAL EDITIONof Chronic Pain Self-treatment is now ready!

It is the only Complete Edition of the book, and the one that will be most helpful to you.Why take less?

It is available exclusively on Amazon.com.It is not sold in bookstores or by booksellers.

FINAL EDITION! must be watermarked on the cover.

WHY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN!

1. To PRESENT an effective method that people-in-pain can use to self-treat, so their pain goes away and stays away.They can't count on doctors, so have to do it themselves if they want to have healthy bodies free of pain.This book describes the method in great detail.

2. To PREVENT "Chronic Pain." If the method described in this book is used early-on, "Chronic Pain" can be prevented.

3. To ALERT the Public that doctors dealing with what they call "Chronic Pain" are locked into ways that don't work, and cannot be relied upon to solve the problems of people suffering on-going pain.

You would think that the large numbers (millions) suffering "Chronic Pain," and all those pain relievers that people take should provide sufficient warning that doctors don't know what to do!Curiously, this has not happened and pain-ridden people continue to go from doctor to doctor hoping for help that never comes.

Exploring the body is an Adventure.The key to a person's return to health lies somewhere within that bundle of tissues.And there is no greater thrill of discovery than when that key is found.

The heart of the Schatz Technique(tm) is to gently explore the tissues of the body.The Method of Exploring to normalize dysfunctioning tissues is unique-and the results are also unique-so those who have not tried it cannot imagine the results.

If you suffer Chronic Pain, or wish to prevent it, there is great hope for you! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A real roadmap for discovery and self-treatment of chronic pain!
Having left a professional career behind as a violinist, I recall so many colleagues lining up for carpal tunnel surgery, a standard malady of any string player.If only they could have read this book first! My husband has suffered from serious shoulder pain, so I got him the book and had him read the chapters.He felt pain relief after one session of what the author describes as "tissue exploration".This is no ordinary book, and this is no ordinary author.Mr. Schatz has over 50 years of experience as a physical therapist, and in all my years of dealing with backpain, no profession has helped me more. I have the upmost respect for good physical therapists.

The Schatz Technique isa must read for anyone experiencing chronic pain from head to toe.You will be amazed at the avenues of discovery we never even considered, and how a simple manipulation of certain areas can relieve pain somewhere else.These are techniques I would never have found on my own.

For about the same cost as a doctor visit co pay, you can have a lifelong reference of self healing that you will find yourself wanting to turn to before seeing your doctor.The chapters on fibromyalgia and migraine headaches are nothing short of sheer brilliance.The chapter on carpal tunnel is amazing.This will remain my reference for all pain relief.The lotion recommended in the book assists your fingers to "discover" and feel below the skin; it adds the ability to better locate the source of the pain.It's very evident to me why doctors and especially pharmeceutical companies would not want to recommend this book, as it will take away a source of income.I highly recommend this book. If you have any friends or loved ones suffering from pain, buy them a copy out of love!If there were a 10 star rating, I'd give it that!

Not that detailed...
I thought the book was very weak. The technique is basically make small circles, rub back and forth lightly with lotion (not too much pressure though.... you don't want to rub or massage!Huhhhh?)This is basically the method! You need to lightly rub all over your body to find "tight bands, or bb's" underneath your skin and gently massage them out. Definitely not worth the money. I used the Trigger Point Therapy workbook for much better results with detailed pictures of where to find your common trigger points. Just remember to try and massage the knots out....not force them.

P.S. If you go to get a deep tissue massage, don't let them push so hard that it causes extreme pain...... this does more harm than good!

If You Have Chronic Pain, This is the Book for You
I recently gave my copy of the Schatz book Ihave used for several years to a physical therapist friend when she took a new job in Atlanta.I was about to purchase another copy when I saw his newest book and decided to add it to my library.

The "Schatz Technique" presented here is a refinement of healing practices he developed during yearsof work with patients of all ages who had all types of chronic pain and disability.His method of exploratory massage, gentle tissue manipulation and percussive fingertip and palm actions is easy to learn, and gives patients autonomy and control over their own healing.The techniques are non-invasive and easy to learn, even by lay persons.I am not a massage or a physical therapist, but I am living proof that the Schatz Technique works.

At61 I suffered an open fracture, with comminution, to both bones of my left forearm. My surgeon called it the "nastiest broken arm" he had seen in several years. As I healed, I supplemented my physical therapy sessions with the Schatz Technique.I had three goals:reduction of scarring and adhesions along my surgical incisions, restoration of nerve function to a badly stretched and inflamed radial nerve, and repair of muscle tissue that had literally been "chewed" by bone fragments.Today,one year after my injury, I have no adhesions or thickening of the tissues along my incisions.I have complete flexibility and sensation in my hand, and there is no pain in the areas enervated by the radial nerve.I havepre-injury strength in my left forearm as well, and can lift and carry anything I want to without pain.

This is the book to buy!!!!
Chronic Pain Self-treatment written by Bernard Schatz, P.T. is a ground-breaking, awareness-expanding book that every family should own.

This book comes with a recommendation by none other than Patch Adams, M.D. who himself referred a patient for treatment with Mr. Schatz resulting in an astonishing change in pain level for that patient.

Well-written and honest, this self-treatment manual can teach you how to reverse chronic pain.We all know that when we visit our health care professionals for treatment of chronic pain, one of three things will happen.Either you'll be handed a prescription for medication, or you're sent off to physical therapy, or in the worst case scenario, you're booked for a surgical procedure.

As Mr. Schatz so aptly explains, medication merely masks the symptoms of chronic pain, it does NOT cure the underlying problem, the reason why the pain exists.Mr. Schatz discovered many years ago that the reason for chronic pain is contracted tissues that press on nerves.

While physical therapy MAY help, in Mr. Schat'z experience in over 50 years as a physical therapist, the results can be short-term or not work at all.In fact in some cases, physical therapy can actually exacerbate someone's pain.

Surgery can be beneficial for some but for many others, surgery causes scar tissue which then presses on nerves and causes pain.One problem solved while another is created.

In laymen's terms, this book will teach you how to work on your own chronic pain issues.The book is packed with real life case studies addressing various forms of chronic pain as well as detailed drawings by the author that show you where and how to work on your affected areas of pain.

When I use the term "work" it doesn't adequately describe the technique.The technique involves gently coaxing and exploring the tissues that are painful.Using lotion, you will discover areas that are tender and painful but you will also discover that in these painful areas there are small substructures, sometimes feeling like bb's or larger knots or ropes.As you gently explore these areas, you are actually doing the technique!

As Mr. Schatz describes, when one part of the body is affected, the areas adjacent to that part become affected.No doubt when you read this book and begin to use the technique, you will find areas of pain that you weren't aware existed, having long ago gotten used to having this pain. You will learn to gently coax and gradually soften the painful tissues until they are healthy, supple and most importantly, pain-free.

You may be wondering why I'm such a huge fan of this book.I became an apprentice to Mr. Schatz many years ago after being his patient.As a certified massage therapist, only one year into practice, my forearms burned and hurt even when I wasn't massaging someone.I was treated by Mr. Schatz in 4, two-hour sessions and was astonished by the results.Not only was I pain-free but I had learned how to use the technique on myself.

I was so amazed by the results, especially when regular massage had NOT worked, that I asked to become Mr. Schatz's apprentice.I worked with him on all of his patients for the next four months and became the first and only Certified Schatz Technique Practitioner.

We went into private practice together for the next two years where we helped countless people to reverse their chronic pain.Mr. Schatz left our practice a few years ago to concentrate his efforts on this new, even more reader-friendly book, Chronic Pain Self-treatment.

Mr. Schatz and I stay in touch but we have not been business associates since he left our private practice.I will not benefit by the sale of this book. My wish is to get the word out about this technique so that you, the reader will benefit by learning how to reverse your chronic pain.

I know this technique works because it constitutes more than half of my private practice.Why do people come to me instead of buying the book you might ask? The answer is that clients are referred to me by physicians and other health care professionals because their patients have reported to them that finally, something has worked!

While I certainly could have learned the Schatz Technique by reading the book, as a massage therapist I wanted to experience it myself.I cannot state this firmly enough, this technique is NOT massage.I do massage people in my practice for the purpose of relaxation and massage is a wonderful destressor in this hectic world but massage does not reverse the cause of chronic pain.

I cannot speak highly enough about Mr. Schatz's newest book, Chronic Pain Self-treatment.It is packed with the knowledge of a man with over 50 years of experience.It will teach you that you CAN learn how to reverse your chronic pain.

It will take some time and patience on your part but if you consider how many years it took for your chronic pain to develop, you will understand that coaxing your painful tissues back to good health is well worth the effort! ... Read more

Product Description
OVERVIEW:1) Symptom Survey (to evaluate if hand pain is from the neck, shoulder or hand).2) Clinical Research: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is Secondary to Undiagnosed Shoulder Problems (TOS) 85 Patients Treated.3) A Reproducible, Inexpensive, Non-Surgical Treatment For Peripheral Nerve Compression 100 Patients Treated {via Non-Surgical Neuro-Vascular Decompression (NSNVD)}.4) Cost analysis shows treatment under 10% of worker’s comp average.ABSTRACT: 100 patients were treated (155 peripheral nerve entrapment presentations and compression of the nerves outside the spinal cord) including: 85 with hand symptoms, 14 with sciatica and 1 with femoral nerve compression. Physical examination determined if hand pain originated in the spine, shoulder or hand without costly radiological testing.

Eighty-five of the patients completely resolved: 86% of which required an average of 3.2 treatments and 14% of which required an average of 16.5 treatments.Five patients require maintenance care @ 1 treatment every 1-3 weeks.Ten patients are permanent and stationary (maximally improved).Regarding the fifteen patients that did not experience 100% resolution, they rated their reduction in symptoms at about 60%.

Half of all patients have been tracked for over one year with only 10% having mild flair ups within 2-6 months and this re-occurrence was successfully resolved with an average of 2 treatments.

All hand patients had the primary cause of their presentation in the shoulder.

Treatments take 30-45 minutes. The cost per treatment is $52 (@ CA Worker’s Comp). 90% of the treatment time is focused on the shoulder.The two groups treated averaged $166.40 & $858.00 to completely resolve, or reach maximally improved. Reoccurrence and comparative cost analysis is included.This highly effective, inexpensive treatment incorporates massage, physical therapy and joint manipulation (chiropractic or non-thrust).Experienced massage therapists successfully duplicate treatment after 4, 4-hour seminars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Waste of Money
I recently read this book hoping to get a new perspective on a very common problem that is not always treated effectively.I do feel the shoulder joint can be involved.However, this book offered no significant treatments if the shoulder is indeed involved.It just kept repeating (multiple times) that the shoulder joint is the problem.He, the author, could teach you further treatments however.I'm sure at an additional cost of a seminar.No thanks!!

It really works!
I have been a patient of Dr. Rahn's for about a year. My carpal tunnel, misdiagnosed by another chiropractor, was almost at a point of no return.
Roger used his technique of massage and ultrasound and I'm almost 100%,
WITHOUT SURGERY!!! Knowing the physiology of thoracic outlet syndrome
helps understand why this method works. I encourage professionals learn
this technique.

Incredible recovery, healing and it's in the book!
As a patient of Dr. Rahn's, I was excited to review his book as I have experienced the remarkable results his techniques can bring.When I first began treatments almost 4 years ago, I had been diagnosed with bone on bone presentation and told by a medical doctor that I needed knee replacement for both knees.Thanks to regular deep tissue and chiropractic treatments, I am pain free and have regained enough strength and mobility to return to full time employment.Thankfully, I no longer take pain meds and am not even considering surgery.

Dr. Rahn has accomplished a lot for many patients, and his book makes it possible for even more to be helped with other practitioners using his revolutionary techniques.It is written so that both professionals and their patients can benefit and learn.Highly recommended!!

Fantastic!
This book is totally aweseome! Not only does it give an indepth explanation of chiropractic adjustments, techniques, theories, and so on, but it also deals with the issue of "how to correct the problem". Today, there are so many chiropractors out there that spend about 2 minutes with you "snap, crackle, and pop", charge you $50.00 and throw you out the door...without ever fixing the problem! This book is incredible considering that it focuses on the treatments and how to get yourself better. THe section which talks about Carpel Tunnel is excellent, and if you, or someone you know has carpel tunnel, you need to buy this book. It will help you immensely! Carpel Tunnel is very serious, and it stops us from doing what we love...such as playing the guitar, typing, and just every day activities. This book tells us how to "correct" the problem and reverse the carpel tunnel.

Review by Medical Editor (Lisa at EditAvenue.com)
Review by Medical Editor Aug. 30, 2005
"Dr. Rahn: I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your work. You have a great writing style that makes complex terms and ideas appear simple which is not easy to do. I found I wanted to continually read on and never got bored, well done! " ... Read more

Product Description
The number of people afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome has grown in recent years. A medical condition in which the median nerve becomes "pinched" in the carpal tunnel, the condition causes sufferers considerable pain and/or numbness in the hands and wrists. Widely recognized for the past 15 years, this is not a new condition; in fact, it was clearly defined more than 100 years ago.

In this reader-friendly book, you will find the answers to 101 of the most frequently asked questions about carpal tunnel syndrome. 101 Questions and Answers about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome explains in plain English the causes and treatments, and offers practical advice for preventing this common problem. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very comprehensive and reader friendly
I bought this book when I found out that Dr. McCabe, with whom I had made
an appointment for carpal tunnel treatment, had written a book on the topic.It was very thorough.The technical parts were written to be quite easy to understand.I appreciated the hand exercises which were included.There were also open-minded discussions of the possible pros and cons of non medical alternatives to carpal tunnel treatment, with patient feed back on some of them.

As for me, I had tried many of the alternatives, B6, pilates, exercises from the book Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, over the counter medication for pain, hand braces and even learning to use my left hand to do the extensive note taking required in my job as a speech pathologist. These methods provided some relief for over a year, but never made the problem go away.

When I met Dr. McCabe my daughter was with me while he did his examination and asked extensive questions.She commented later, "He seems like a poster boy for how medical practice should be done."My overall impression is that this book was written with the spirit of truly trying to help others through his expertise in this field.

So far my treatment has been an injection which seems to be working well.
I have met one lady who chose surgery over an injection because she is needle phobic.For those like her I wanted to say that the injection was like a mild pin prick (though this may depend on the surgeon - I don't know) that I believe would not even have brought a tear to most children.
The "pain" was gone in seconds and I have experienced no side effects.
You can drive home easily after an injection.

If injections do not seem to be sufficient for resolution of my carpal tunnel, I am no longer so leery about hand surgery.For one reason, the physician who did my nerve conduction study test said that many of the
"horror stories" of carpal tunnel surgery are due to people getting treatment from doctors who are not specialists in hand surgery, for example from orthopedic surgeons.I would hope anyone would research surgeons carefully before deciding to get that invasive type of treatment.

If you can get back to normal with alternative methods, how wonderful for you.But if you try them for a few months and they don't work, please seek expert help so that things don't get worse for you and maybe be less treatable as time goes by. ... Read more

Product Description
Crouch stresses the importance of finding out exactly what type of RSI you have and of seeking conservative treatment instead of jumping in and having surgery like she did. This book also gives an excellent rundown and explanation of the diagnostic techniques that doctors use, from the innocuous Phalen's test to the often-excruciating electromyography nerve conduction test. While the explanations of different treatments could be more in-depth, they're a good primer if you're investigating your options. Crouch also includes information about worker's compensation plus an extensive list of resources-- organizations, Web sites, books, and articles--helpful for those learning how to treat these often chronic conditions.Amazon.com Review
Tammy Crouch, a former sign-language interpreter, had carpal-tunnel release surgery twice. Both surgeries were unsuccessful. She then learned about "alternative" therapies for her pain, including massage, osteopathy, acupuncture, and chiropractic, and she passes along her wisdom in this book.

Crouch stresses the importance of finding out exactly what type of RSI you have and of seeking conservative treatment instead of jumping in and having surgery like she did. This book also gives an excellent rundown and explanation of the diagnostic techniques that doctors use, from the innocuous Phalen's test to the often-excruciating electromyography nerve conduction test. While the explanations of different treatments could be more in-depth, they're a good primer if you're investigating your options. Crouch also includes information about worker's compensation plus an extensive list of resources--organizations, Web sites, books, and articles--helpful for those learning how to treat these often chronic conditions.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

helpfull book
This book has been helpfull in understanding the pain I have caused by carpal tunnel syndrome.

Great resource
I found this book through Tammy Crouch Fletcher's RSI FAQ and the many suggestions helped me to improve my symptoms without surgery. Full of common sense, written by a patient (Ms. Crouch Fletcher had two surgeries and researched virtually every treatment available), full of good interviews and tips, and designed to help you help yourself. Excellent read before visiting the surgeon!

Surgery is not always the answer.
Tammy is honest about herself and in her book shares the importance of knowledge verses the quick-fix.The resources given in the book alone, are worth the price of the book.A must read! ... Read more

Product Description
Examines repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and tendinitis, their causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very little information
This slim volume (less than 100 pages of real content, and printed in a large font size and with lots of white space) provides very general information on RSIs.The information is neither complete nor authoritatitve.The chapter on treatment, for example, just lists the things you can go to a doctor for, and has a few paragraphs on alternative procedures such as acupuncture.BTW, using yoga to treat RSI is probably the dumbest idea I've heard, myself being a former yoga practioner.Imagine supporting your weight upside down on your injured wrists!Avoid this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Vitamins and other nonsurgical therapies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Waste of money
I was disappointed in this book. It was primarily a review of carpal tunnel and the ways it's treated. I didn't find any real help here.

How do you spell relief?
I found this book very informative.While everyone I know has either had carpel tunnel syndrome or knows someone who had it most people are not really informed concerning the alternative treatments and possible causes of the condition.

In my reading I found that there are treatments that bring a degree of relief and do not require immediate surgery.By learning to take care of myself I have experienced a good degree of relief from the constant pain I was causing myself because I didn't know how to avoid it.

I would not recommend only reading the book and not seeking medical attention, but by knowing the questions to ask one can make more intelligent decisions concerning treatment options.

The research seems creditable and the author seems to have had considerable experience with the syndrome. ... Read more

Product Description
With an increasingly high-tech work force, the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome has increased. OSHA Carpal Tunnel Syndrome teaches workers and managers what they need to know about carpal tunnel syndrome, how to prevent it, and how to treat it. It is illustrated with many photos of exercises and positions. It is suitable for OSHA training. It is also excellent for individuals concerned about their own health. The manual accompanying the CD provides a summary of the major points of the CD in a handy format. Estimated time: 2-4 hours. 180 pages on CD. 22 pages in the manual. You must have Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher running on your computer. Supported operating systems are Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, or XP. The CD is licensed to play once on any Windows computer; the borrower may purchase the program after that. One library reference activation is included in the price. ... Read more

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps the only ethical alternative is to leave no stoneunturned in finding solutions to chronic problems.This tapedeveloped to explain CTS and mediate repetitive stress bybiomechanical manipulation is not the average tape or method, butworth a listen and a try. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Extremely helpful
I do not have carpal tunnel syndrome but I do suffer from inflammation in my wrist joints. A friend loaned me Montgomery's book and I found it to be quite helpful. The book is clearly written without too much medical jargon, and there are many illustrations to show the proper way to do stretching exercises, how to set up your workstation, and explanations about various parts of the body where the aches and pains begin and why.I find myself referring to her book often whenever I need to relieve the inflammation. After a few stretching repetitions, my hands feel a lot better. This book makes a great starting point for anyone who suffers from repetitive stress syndrome. ... Read more