I install patios for a living, and when I had hand pain one day, I took a pain reliever and called it an early day. The pain was still there the next day, and it made work tough. I realized it was not going away, so I went to the doctor. She diagnosed me with carpal tunnel syndrome, and said we needed to start treating it right away, or it would only get worse. She gave me a shot in my hand, and it helped for a while, but the pain then came back. After a few months of suffering, I finally decided to get surgery, and it was the best decision I ever made. My hand now feels like a normal hand again. I created this blog to encourage others with hand pain to have it treated. You don't have to live with pain, especially when it affects your job.