Total Care for Your Wrist and Hand Symptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common wrist condition that causes pain, weakness, numbness and tingling in your hand and wrist. Your carpal tunnel is a narrow space in your wrist bone that makes room for your ligaments, nerves and tendons to reach your hand. One of the nerves that runs through your carpal tunnel is called the median nerve. This nerve helps you move your forearm and allows feeling in your hands and fingers. If your median nerve is irritated, damaged or pressed against your carpal tunnel, you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or your doctor suspects that you do, the orthopedic hand experts at St. Luke’s are ready to help. We know what it takes to effectively treat carpal tunnel syndrome.
How We Diagnose Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Your doctor can usually diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome through a physical exam and asking questions about your symptoms. You may also need one or more tests to help your doctor determine if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or something else. Common diagnosis tools include:
- History of symptoms: Your doctor will be able to tell a lot about your condition based on the pattern of your symptoms. You may experience tingling or weakness while holding or gripping something like a phone or steering wheel. These symptoms also often happen at night and could wake you from sleep. Waking up in the morning with numbness in your hands and fingers is another common sign of carpal tunnel.
- Nerve conduction study: Your doctor will attach two electrodes to your skin and send a small shock through your median nerve to see if the electrical impulses in your nerve are slowed down because of carap tunnel syndrome.
- Electrodiagnostic tests: Your provider inserts a small needle electrode into your muscle to measure the electrical activity when your muscle contracts and rests. This test can help determine the location, severity and presence of carpal tunnel syndrome. We can also use this test to help rule out other conditions.
- Ultrasound: Your doctor may order an ultrasound for your wrist to see if the median nerve is being compressed.
Our Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment Options
We start treating carpal tunnel syndrome with conservative, nonsurgical methods. Your doctor will talk to you about making certain adjustments to see if they relieve your symptoms. These modifications can include:
- Physical therapy: Your physical therapist will show you exercises that can improve the flexibility and strength in your wrist and hand.
- Wearing a splint: Your doctor may recommend wearing a splint during the day and while sleeping to keep your wrist in a neutral position and take the pressure off your median nerve.
- Adjusting your posture: You can work with one of our occupational therapists to make changes to how you do everyday activities like sitting, typing and standing. Small changes like sitting properly or positioning your keyboard differently can make a difference in how you feel.
- Medications: Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen (Aleve) to reduce inflammation and pain. Your doctor may also prescribe corticosteroids (strong anti-inflammatory medications) if over-the-counter medications don’t provide you with enough relief.
You should start feeling better quickly after starting these nonsurgical treatment options. It could take a few weeks for your symptoms to fully improve. If these conservative treatment options don’t help, your doctor will recommend surgery.
Carpal tunnel surgery usually relieves symptoms very fast and permanently. Your surgeon will make an incision in your transverse carpal ligament, which connects your wrist to your palm. This creates more space in your carpal tunnel and relieves the pressure on your median nerve. Carpal tunnel surgery is usually an outpatient procedure, and most patients recover within a month.
Symptoms and Risk Factors of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tell your doctor about any symptoms you’re experiencing so they can help you find relief and prevent permanent damage. Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms tend to start out mild and get worse over time and if left untreated can cause permanent damage to your nerves and muscles.
The most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain, numbness or tingling in your wrist, hand or fingers. You might also have trouble holding objects like your phone or a pen. You might also have trouble doing things like gripping a steering wheel or typing on a keyboard. These symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time.
Anyone can develop carpal tunnel syndrome. You’re more likely to develop it if you:
- Are older than 40
- Are pregnant
- Do repetitive motions with your hands (like typing or gripping tools)
- Have injured your wrist
- Have rheumatoid arthritis or other conditions that cause swelling to your tendons and joints
- Regularly use vibrating machinery (like drills or jackhammers)
Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
If you do a job or activity that involves repetitive movement or have other related health conditions, it can be difficult to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. However, you can ease the stress on your hand and wrist by:
- Stretching your hands and wrists before and after repetitive activity
- Taking breaks to rest your hands and wrists
- Wearing protective gear at work or while doing your activity
- Maintaining proper posture and alignment
- Keeping your hands and wrists more relaxed while typing or gripping something
- Keeping your arms and hands warm while you work so they don’t get stiff and tense