Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve -- the nerve in the wrist that supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hand and fingers.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist.
A number of medical problems are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, including:
Bone fractures and arthritis of the wrist, Acromegaly, Diabetes, Alcoholism, Hypothyroidism, Kidney failure and dialysis, Menopause, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and pregnancy, Obesity, Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and scleroderma etc.
Symptoms :
Numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands.
Weakness in one or both hands.
Diagnosis may be done by Clinical Evaluation, and Electro-diagnostic tests like Electromyography and Nerve conduction velocity.
Treatment
For patient, who are not responding to conservative management, or when there is documented
neuronal damage, surgery should be performed.
Carpal tunnel release is a surgical procedure that cuts into the ligament that is pressing on the nerve. Surgery is successful most of the time, but recovery depends on how long the nerve compression has been occurring and its severity.
The procedure can be done under local anesthesia. The procedure involves a skin incision of approximately 1 inch, which heals in a week. The patient is discharged on the day of surgery, and can start normal activities in a week.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist.
A number of medical problems are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, including:
Bone fractures and arthritis of the wrist, Acromegaly, Diabetes, Alcoholism, Hypothyroidism, Kidney failure and dialysis, Menopause, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and pregnancy, Obesity, Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and scleroderma etc.
Symptoms :
Numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands.
Weakness in one or both hands.
Diagnosis may be done by Clinical Evaluation, and Electro-diagnostic tests like Electromyography and Nerve conduction velocity.
Treatment
For patient, who are not responding to conservative management, or when there is documented
neuronal damage, surgery should be performed.
Carpal tunnel release is a surgical procedure that cuts into the ligament that is pressing on the nerve. Surgery is successful most of the time, but recovery depends on how long the nerve compression has been occurring and its severity.
The procedure can be done under local anesthesia. The procedure involves a skin incision of approximately 1 inch, which heals in a week. The patient is discharged on the day of surgery, and can start normal activities in a week.
Great post! The Pain Management Doctors in NJ have actually told me a lot of things you mention in this post about my wrist pain. Thank you for sharing this with us!
ReplyDelete