Anyone here had experience of a ganglion - strange name Its a lump that appears mainly somewhere on the hand. For me, it is at my wrist. Its extremely painful and during a recent scan, I was told arthritis surrounds the lump. I'm considering asking for the needle treatment - I'm usually quite brave but this scares me a bit, as I know it will be extremely painful and worse still, will it continue to be. So if anyone has had treatment would like to hear about it.
I had a cyst on my hand, but my doctor didn't refer to it as a ganglion cyst. Mine was at the palm of my hand, below the base of my small finger, then grew to cover the area below the second finger before I saw a doctor. My fear was that it was a cancer so I was relieved to find that it was a cyst. There was no pain associated it and it was removed by surgery.
I've had a ganglion bottom of wrist for about 30 yrs and just noticed about 4 months ago it was gone..it never hurt and I never worried about it. You can find a lot of info about them.
I did look it up Joy - some hurt, others don't. This one is very painful and restricted movement I guess I'll just have to take the plunge and hope for the best
I work with Zinc Oxide for some painful issues on skin if and when I get them and why not for a while massage some into the area and see if that helps eliminate pain. Zinc is quite the healer. Years back when this appeared I had read where hitting with a phone book would eliminate it, I never did any smashing of it. I think why this one disappeared after so many yrs, my wrist drags on my desk off the mouse pad and with the rubbing of the wrist it just dissolved.
Patsy--I have read that immobilizing the area could help. If it were me, I'd have the needle aspiration to get the fluid out. Sorry you're in pain.
I like this doctor and his sight is the first place I look for medical info. I was surprised to learn people do actually hit the lump with a book. Dr. Andrew Weil Ganglion Cyst Ganglion cysts are fluid-filled lumps or bumps that form on the hand and wrist (usually on the upper side). They are very common and often occur adjacent to joints or tendons. They may get bigger or smaller over time and occasionally disappear completely without any treatment. Ganglion cysts are not cancerous and will not spread. What are the symptoms? While harmless, even tiny ganglion cysts that aren’t visible can sometimes be quite painful. These growths tend to get bigger (and can cause increasing discomfort) with repetitive activity, such as typing. What are the causes?The cause is unknown, although they may develop in response to irritation of the nearby joint or tendon. What is the conventional treatment?One traditional “treatment” was to hit them with a heavy book, usually a family bible, which would disrupt the capsule holding the fluid of the cyst. If a cyst becomes irritated or inflamed, a cortisone injection may be recommended. Painful cysts can also be drained with a thin needle after the area is numbed. However, the cyst will refill with fluid about half of the time, so this approach won’t always eliminate the problem. Another way to relieve pain and reduce swelling is to immobilize the wrist in a splint. Ganglion cysts can also be removed surgically. However, this is a complicated procedure and not necessarily a permanent fix, as the cyst may come back. The surgery is an outpatient procedure that will require two to six weeks of recuperation before you can resume your normal activities. What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for ganglion cyst? The traditional method of striking the cyst with a flat object is actually quite effective, although I advise you to us reasonable judgment regarding how much force to use. There are no specific integrative medicine therapies to address ganglion cysts. Changing habits of repetitive motion may help resolve cysts that come and go. If they are very painful or inflamed, or interfering with daily activities, you should see your physician to explore some of the options listed above. Don’t treat cysts that are not painful or unsightly. They may disappear on their own.
Thank you so much @Emma Smith I've never known a cyst (and I've had a few) to be so hard as mine is. Rock hard. There is some swelling travels up the thumb. The pain extends partially down the arm from the wrist. As doctor Weil states, treatments are not that successful and I fear could make my situation worse. Hitting it with a book is not an option and I did accidently hit it a few months ago and boy - did that hurt for days I think I'm stuck, and today decided to keep applying the arnica gel for some relief, doesn't help having arthritis there of course ..................... so keep the laughs a comin'
Not a hammer, @Shirley Martin, but a book is what is recommended, as @Emma Smith states. It usually hurts briefly, and the cyst can return.
No - not briefly, Its painful now and I haven't hit it with a book I never realised I used my left hand as much as I do
I haven't had one, but people I know who have treated them with a book tell me it hurts briefly. I was speaking of the treatment, not the condition. As was said, some cysts hurt and some don't, I think depending on where they are situated with respect to the joint.
Yes - I think that's right, if its already causing a lot of pain, hitting it with a book seems foolhardy, as I said - already hit it accidently and did no good whatsoever
Before I would ever pound or hammer, I'd rub the area a few times a time daily or when you think of it, like a massage, that could cause it to dissolve. As for pain, use some pain recommended oils and arnica can be a good choice. I stay away from doctors as much as I can. Online docs are another thing in my book.