Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Forum - RSI shooting pains in hands

Hi all,

due to a busy workload and not enough staff in the team - sound familiar, anyone?! - we worked long shifts without breaks a lot over summer, and I started working weekends too. Over this period, I started to experience pains in my right hand (am right handed and thus used my mouse on this side). I had aches to begin with, then a tingling sensation, followed by shooting pains up my thumb and index finger and the side of my hand, and into and along my wrist.

I went to see my GP and mentioned it to her, and she said it sounded like RSI from overworking. She suggested I tried a supportive bandage or splint on it, took anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen) when in pain, and tried using my left hand to use the mouse. I've been doing this for a while now, and the pain has subsided in my right hand (coming back with use), and appeared in my left hand! Joy of joys. I'm now regularly swapping from hand to hand during the work day to spread the use equally to both hands.

I've got two wrist splints, which I've been told to sleep in (at least, if not also wear them during the day). When wearing them in the office I cannot work as fast as normal, and my arms hurt from having to angle them up to use the mouse. I occasionally take them off to work, and can move a heck of a lot faster, but obviously the pains return faster too.

It's now been about 6 months I've been having these problems for, and they don't seem to want to go. It's got to the stage now that I get shooting pains up my hands if I lean on my palms, or put any pressure on the heels of my hands (ie: when pushing doors open, getting out of the bath etc). I'm also - and this IS embarrassing - having trouble dressing in the morning. I can no longer angle my wrists to do my bra up behind my back or to pull the straps up as normal, and things like that.

Where do I stand re conditions at work? I have a mousemat with wrist support, but that's all I've been given. What shall I do now?