Health and working on cars

At the ripe age of 29, working on cars has become extremely painful. After about 30 mins to an hour of using hand tools my hands are in pain. Lately I've been trying to finish my Miata and work on my Excursion but I find myself giving up because of pain. The next morning I'm usually in crippling pain to the point where I try not to use my hands at all. This also happens when I type, write, use chopsticks etc but not as severe. I've been going through occupational therapy and we thought it was getting better but in reality I was using my hands less. I think I'm getting to the point where I will have to say "my mechanic", and start paying for the simple things until my son is old enough to work on my projects for me . It's pretty saddening especially since I've never finished my Conquest and I really want to bring that car back to life. For now, I'll tough through it for the next few months and try to finish what on my plate. After that I might just get rid of my projects and take it easy for awhile. 

I have more than my share of aches and pains when I work on cars, but I'm a fat 47-year-old, and my hands have never been an issue.  Sounds like there might be something else going on, you mentioned occupational therapy, have you seen someone to get blood tests or any other kind of diagnostic work?

I wake up numb from hand to elbow every morning, but my day job is also using hand tools so I just deal with it. I've thought about a career change but more to do with knee and ankle pain. I enjoy working on my personal projects enough to just suffer thru it.

I put 12 hours into SanFord this past weekend. Lots of climbing under the bus, dash, hood, up and down all day. By Monday I was sore, but not in serious pain. But, I'm a fat, lazy, 50yo, I expect to hurt.

At 29, pain should be way down the list of problems. As much as I hate doctors, I'd say it's time for some tests. 

47, and having struggled through some or all of the above (numbness, hours of the day holding grinders, riding bicycles/motorcycles, wrenching professionally, and as a hobby). There are things to improve stuff. 

Glucosamine

Chinese Balls

Fish Oil,

Turmeric,

Stretches for tendons.

However, I'd try acupuncture (make sure the person is Chinese, or trained by someone who is) I know it sounds crazy, but that's advice I was given, and took, with great results. YRMV

Maybe an orthopedic doctor. Get a professional opinion.

In reply to yupididit :

I agree with Toyman.  Time to see a Dr.  and don’t be surprised if a GP can’t find what’s happening.   Mine kept telling me I  was just getting older when I was complaining about fatigue.  Turned out I had Crohn's. I showed him a thing or two.  

 I've been seeing a Dr about it all of 2017. Problem is, if it gets bad enough the air force will medically separate me. And since it's degenerative, I'm going to take it easy. I've lost 10lbs of grip strength in both hands since October.  

In reply to spitfirebill :

I have crohn's, somedays it is a struggle to get up the energy to get anything done. Most of the time I am fine, but then along comes that day

That sounds like a lot more than just arthritis.  Especially at 29.  Besides occupational therapy, have you seen any specialists?  Seems like there may be more underlying and serious issues.

You really don't want me to have to give you there see a doctor speech...

I will.

"Go to a Doctor."

</speech>

I am turning 33 this year.   About 5 years ago I started working a desk job with a long commute and hours that didnt allow me much excersize time.  I would still be active on most weekends, but it was ramping down a bit.   Last summer I started getting pains in my right leg, especially after I got off the commuter bus. I would have decreased motion in my right leg and not be able to kick it forward very well. (not about to join the rockettes).

Went to the doctor, had an x-ray of my spine.  Found that my lumbar curvature was straightening.  Made an appointment for Physical Therapy.   Before the first appointment, I went on a trip where I spent 10 hours driving my miata over two days.  5 hours a day non-stop.   By the time I got home from the trip I was in UNBEARABLE pain. I had to call my wife from the driveway, I couldnt get out of the miata without assistance.

Went into the office once or twice and couldnt make it a whole day.  Wound up in severe pain, having to bogart a whole seat and lay down across a row on the bus in tears. 

Work allowed me to work from home.   I started PT, didnt make any progress for 3 weeks.  Had an MRI, they found that I had herniated a disc and it was impinging on the sciatic nerve.  No PT options as the spine could destabilize with traction due to the flattening of the curve.   See a Neurosurgeon, who tells me that I need to have surgery on my spine, or I risk permanent damage due to pressure on the nerve.   Same week, find out wife is pregnant.

Had surgery on my back on Nov 28th.  Three months later I finally start working in the office again.  Three and a half months later, I am still in 2x a week PT and working hard at improvements, but MUCH better off than before the surgery.  

Docs reassure me that I should be in ok shape by the time the baby is here. I still worry a bit.  Its going to be at least a year out from surgery for things to get back to close to normal, I will have to wait and see how much lasting effect I have from this mess.

If I had been more proactive and less stupid about taking a long trip with an already bad back condition, it likely could have been corrected with 2 months PT and I could have been in fine shape for christmas.   Instead, here I am, late in spring, still recovering from a surgery and desperate to be ready for my sons birth.   I am reduced to team lifting heavy items with my pregnant wife as neither of us should really be lifting things over 35lbs right now.

DONT DO WHAT I DID.   ENGAGE RELEVANT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND SOLVE BEFORE PRESSING ON. 

wheelsmithy said:

 

Stretches for tendons.

However, I'd try acupuncture (make sure the person is Chinese, or trained by someone who is) I know it sounds crazy, but that's advice I was given, and took, with great results. YRMV

Maybe an orthopedic doctor. Get a professional opinion.

Been considering dry needling with my physical therapist.

https://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail/dry-needling-by-physical-therapist-what-you-should

I tend a bit more towards things that are a bit more scientifically vetted, but it seems to be more western driven application which explains some of the benefits of acupuncture.  (call it the western-science driven acupuncture)

Have you been assessed to see if its carpal tunnel?

Apexcarver said:

Been considering dry needling with my physical therapist.

https://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail/dry-needling-by-physical-therapist-what-you-should

I tend a bit more towards things that are a bit more scientifically vetted, but it seems to be more western driven application which explains some of the benefits of acupuncture.  (call it the western-science driven acupuncture)

I did that for my neck stiffness.  I think it helped, but I was doing a variety of different therapies at that time, so it's hard to say which ones did the most good.

In reply to spitfirebill :

Yup. Go see a doctor. Have some tests. I’m nearly 70. I can work a full day and wind up stiff and sore it no aches. 

Oh but to be fair. I can’t  get 1/5 th  the work done I used to. 

You didn't say if there was a diagnosis.  If it's still undetermined, I suggest trying a diet change of getting away from wheat and possibly other grains as well.  It's basically free (except for the mental challenge of desire) and has been pretty dramatic for me the few times I have gotten away from it, even though I'm not celiac.  

Doing a "healthy cleanse diet " for a week or ten days might be a relief and informative. 

Also have to suggest a clean diet in general.

But this is all speculative, and maybe you're not even looking for advice.  My ability to be productive suffers greatly with pain. I also notice that I have natural ebbs and flows of mental "strength". I've learned to try to go with the flow, with periods of slack and periods of manic. 

Good luck, hope the strength returns.

Pay attention to your body.  Take it from a mid 60's aching guy.   As Mickey Mantle once said, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

In reply to coexist :

I have a mostly vegan diet with fish being my only animal. I also don't consume pasta or much wheat.

I have been seeing a specialist for it hence the occupational therapy. I have a slew of hand stretches and exercises as well as special pens to write with. It's a combination of hand injuries (scar tissue), degenerative arthritis (oa?), carpal tunnel, and speculation of extra finger removal when I was young. I was born with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot. 

Add that with my  l5 and sacram fractures in the past, its safe to say I have interesting issues for my age. 

Six fingers.  couldn't resist.

My MIL has RA, and she's significantly better off when her diet is free of foods that cause inflammation. It sounds like you're already eating a lot of this stuff with your diet, but it's worth noting and maybe making some changes where necessary.

mad_machine said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

 

I have crohn's, somedays it is a struggle to get up the energy to get anything done. Most of the time I am fine, but then along comes that day

 

So do I.  There are some killer medicines out there that can really help, along with nutrition control.  I sometimes have a lack of energy, but it's not from Crohns' itself, it's from burning the candle at both ends.  Up at 4am, in the gym at 4:30am, work all day, 60 mile each way commute, kids sports at night and on weekends, etc....

Crohns' people often have symptoms of RA too, or full blown disease.  I have an endless list of joint issues, but working out keeps me in the best shape I can be.

I don't really work on cars, mostly because I simply don't have the time.  When I do have the time, there are so many other things I need to get done or sometimes just want to sit down for 10 minutes.

dropstep said:

I wake up numb from hand to elbow every morning, but my day job is also using hand tools so I just deal with it. I've thought about a career change but more to do with knee and ankle pain. I enjoy working on my personal projects enough to just suffer thru it.

This really sounds like carpal tunnel. I've had this on and off over the years and have found that sleeping in wrist braces alleviates the symptoms almost completely. They hold your wrist in the proper position to let the tendons rest and have the inflammation go down overnight. You should reeeeeeealy try to deal with this before it gets to the point where you need surgery.

Im just here to pile on to the notion of going to see a doctor, and be honest with them. They cant help you if you try to downplay your conditions.

It sounds like you should have done that a while ago and now the pain level is really getting to be concerning, you don't want to end up with some sort of permanent issue here. Also your first post makes it sounds like that you are just about ready to accept that this is just the way you have to live from now on..... Are you crazy? You are 29. Go to the doctor again. If they don't know what to do get a referral to someone else. 

Hello fellow IBD sufferers. Ulcerative Colitis here. Mine probably wouldn't have gotten so out of hand early on if I hadn't been toughing it out, too hard headed to talk about it with a doctor.  It was a rough couple years but everything is good now.  Don't do what I did, don't learn the hard way that its better to just ask for help if you are suffering. 

In reply to boaty mcfailface :

I don't downplay anything. Been seeing specialist for over a year, in California now Texas. 

Dirtydog said:

As Mickey Mantle once said, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

That's almost funny, because i say if I had known I was going to turn out like this, I would have enjoyed myself more.