CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in your wrist that is due to inflammation in the canal where the median nerve rests. This inflammation creates pressure. When the pressure on the nerve becomes great enough to disturb the way the nerve works, then numbness, tingling, and pain may be felt in the hand. The goals of treatment are to decrease the inflammation and pressure in the canal.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in your wrist that is due to inflammation in the canal where the median nerve rests. This inflammation creates pressure. When the pressure on the nerve becomes great enough to disturb the way the nerve works, then numbness, tingling, and pain may be felt in the hand.

The carpal tunnel resides in the wrist and is surrounded by the small carpal bones. The connective tissue that makes up part of the tunnel is very rigid, limiting the capacity of the tunnel to stretch. The median nerve stems from the neck and runs through the arm to the hand. This nerve gives feeling to the thumb, index, middle and ring finger. When the carpal tunnel narrows or when the surrounding tissues swell, the nerve is subject to excess pressure. Commonly, a combination of factors contributes to the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. Hereditary differences like anatomy can increase the risk of carpal tunnel as well as repetitive hand use. Doing the same hand and wrist motions can irritate the tendons, causing inflammation. Other health conditions like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis have been found to be associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

You might feel numbness, tingling, burning and pain in the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. This pain can also travel up the arm to the shoulder. These symptoms may also be accompanied by weakness of the hand, that affect your fine movements like buttoning your clothes or not being able to grip things. In the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome, symptoms may be on and off but as the condition worsens, symptoms may become more constant. You might experience pain during the night as well, if your wrist is in a bent position when you sleep.

 It is very important to be diagnosed and treated early to slow down the progression of the disease. Non-surgical treatment can be very effective if treated early. Bracing and splinting will keep your wrist straight to reduce nerve pressure. This can be very helpful at nighttime, allowing you to sleep through the night without painful symptoms. Anti-inflammatory drugs can also relieve the inflammation in the tunnel, releasing the nerve from pressure. Various changes in exercise can also help the condition, whether you stop doing repetitive activities that cause flare ups or doing exercises to help the median nerve move more freely in the tunnel. If the condition severely worsens and conservative treatment is ineffective, surgery may be an option for you. A carpal tunnel release is a procedure that relieves the pressure on the nerve. The rigid connective tissue ligament that makes up the roof of the tunnel can be cut to increase the size of the tunnel and therefore decreasing pressure on the median nerve.