Anyone keep this at bay with just physio?
Yes. My carpal tunnel was tingling in my hands, no pain. I did a few months of physical therapy consisting of stretching and strength exercises combined with the therapist doing Graston technique on my hands and wrists.
http://www.grastontechnique.com/Patients
I stopped doing the exercises after a few months. Now, I get the tingling once in a while, and some stretching takes care of it.
Edit – I consider surgery a last resort, and wanted to try something less drastic first.