Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common hand problem. It happens when a nerve in your wrist, called the “Median Nerve,” gets squeezed inside a tight passage called the carpal tunnel. This tunnel is surrounded by bones and ligaments in your palm.
Causes and Risk Factors:
Risk factors for CTS include:
- Doing the same hand movements over and over again
- Holding your wrist in one position for a long time (like typing or using tools)
- Health conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or obesity.
What are common symptoms of carpal tunnel?
Common symptoms of CTS include:
- Numbness or tingling in your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers
- Pain or discomfort in your hand, wrist, or forearm
- Weakness in your hand or trouble gripping things
- Symptoms often get worse at night or during activities where you bend your wrist.
How to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome?
To diagnose CTS, a doctor will do a physical exam and might use tests like nerve conduction studies or electromyography (EMG). Usually, we don’t have to do electromyography (EMG). But sometimes, to make sure it’s not pressure on the nerves in your neck, we might need to do EMG.
Do you need any blood work?
Usually, blood tests aren’t needed, but sometimes they might check for conditions like diabetes, low thyroid function, arthritis, or pregnancy.
Carpal tunnel during pregnancy:
For many pregnant women, CTS symptoms improve after giving birth.
Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
To reduce the risk of CTS or ease symptoms, consider:
- Taking breaks from repetitive tasks and stretching
- Keeping good posture and wrist position
- Using tools designed to reduce hand strain
- Avoiding putting too much pressure on your hands
- Staying healthy with exercise and a good weight.
Living Well with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
While CTS can be challenging, there are steps you can take to manage symptoms and improve quality of life:
- Following your doctor’s advice
- Talking openly about your symptoms
- Practice self-care techniques such as stress management, relaxation exercises, and proper ergonomic practices.
Treatment:
Treatment options may include:
- Rest and activity modification
- Wrist splinting to keep the wrist in a neutral position
- Nerve Gliding Exercises
- Physical therapy exercises to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility (You must consult with your family doctor before starting).
- Medications (especially local corticosteroid injection) to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain in severe cases.
Do you need surgeries?
If your carpal tunnel syndrome is severe, surgery may be necessary. surgery may be recommended to relieve pressure on the median nerve. It’s important to discuss this with your family doctor. Nerve conduction studies help determine how severe the condition is. If you notice any changes in your hand muscles , like atrophy (shrinking), it’s important to consult with your family physician as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, kindly contact our office.