Quote Originally Posted by chalky View Post
I also assume any exercise involving wrist extension like power cleans and front squats should be avoided?
Generally what you want to do is get your symptoms into remission. Once you have been a few months symptom-free, restricted to the essential lifts (however you define that), then you can introduce additional movements one at a time. Then when your wrists act up again, you know what’s to blame and can address it by omitting a lift or modifying it.

I don’t do power cleans, in part because of my own history of CTS, but they are an important part of many people’s training, so might be worth it for you.

I don’t front squat, because LBBS covers that area well for me, I am not training Olympic lifts, and just looking at the typical wrist position of someone front squatting makes my wrists hurt. If you want to train front squat, consider using wrist straps on the bar and holding the free end in your hands (barbell logic has a recent video that covers this).

Good luck! And if, despite all your efforts and modifications, the carpal tunnel symptoms persist or worsen, consider the surgery. As Will has attested, most people have great results, and the long-term remission rate looks to be about 90% for the surgery.

I will repeat my bias here, though: your symptoms as described are not classic carpal tunnel syndrome, although that is the most likely cause, statistically speaking. Before surgery, you should be confident in the diagnosis, and I would seek out a neurologist who specializes in neuromuscular disorders who can do a careful sensory and motor exam of the peripheral nervous system in your extremities. The 90% success rate for CTS surgery only is relevant if your symptoms are from CTS.

Also, if you happen to be diabetic, get your sugar under excellent control and keep it there!