The Causes And Treatment Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Some people who do repetitive work with their hands and wrists can develop a painful condition called carpal tunnel syndrome. If you work for hours on an assembly line or at a keyboard, you could find yourself having tingling in your hands and a weak grip. As the condition worsens, you may not be able to pick up or hold onto anything. Here is what you need to know about this painful wrist condition and how it is treated.
Begins With Nerve Irritation
A large nerve moves down your forearm and into your hands. This median nerve travels through a small opening in the wrist bones called the carpal tunnel. Should the nerve become irritated in this area of the wrist, it becomes inflamed and painful. Some of the common ways the median nerve can become irritated include the following:
- a disease which affects the muscles in the wrists, such as arthritis
- a disease which affects the bones in the wrists, such as osteoporosis
- repetitive movements which put stress on the nerve in the wrist area
- resting the hands and wrists on a surface which puts pressure on the nerve
Symptoms You May Experience
As the nerve becomes more inflamed due to the irritation, several symptoms can appear, such as
- numbness and tingling in your forearm, wrists, and extending in the palms of your hands
- weakness in your hands making it hard to pick up and hold onto objects
- pain that radiates from your wrists into the palms of your hands
Depending on the cause of the carpal tunnel syndrome, you can have the condition in both wrists at the same time. Typing on a keyboard where you have your wrists resting on a hard surface can bring on the irritation of the median nerve in both wrists.
Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A visit with an neurologist is required to diagnosis the precise cause of the nerve irritation. Initially, the treatment options may be non-invasive to relieve the nerve inflammation and pain. These treatments will include the following:
- anti-inflammatory and pain medication to reduce the swelling around the nerve in your wrists
- physical therapy on the muscles in the wrists and hands to increase circulation and reduce inflammation
- wrist braces to support the wrists and hands in a neutral position to relieve pressure on the median nerve
If the non-invasive approach fails to give you relief, surgical options will be explored next, such as
- reconstruction of the carpal tunnel damaged by a bone disease
- enlargement of the carpal tunnel to remove pressure from the median nerve
Your doctor may have you wear wrist braces for several weeks after the surgery while the tissues in your wrists heal.
For more information, contact a clinic like Billings Clinic.
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