Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

Carpal Tunnel is a condition that affects the hand and wrist. Pain felt in the hands and fingers caused by repetitive movements or by fluid retention can be developed over time in certain occupations, particularly when repetitive typing or computer work is involved. The pain or symptoms can worsen so that normal motions will be more difficult to perform or interfere with your job and make it a work related injury.

Diagnosis:

Carpal Tunnel is diagnosed through a combination of patient history, physical examination and tests known as nerve conduction studies.


Physical Examination: A physician will perform a physical examination involving hand, wrist, shoulder and neck.


Nerve Conduction Studies:  Tests that can measure the speed of a patient’s nerve impulses.  People may have Carpal Tunnel if the nerve impulse is slower than normal.


Causes:


The causes of Carpal Tunnel syndrome include:


  • The condition that can contribute to arm pain, swelling in the joints and soft tissues or educed blood flow in the hands. These include obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, diabetes, lupus and hypothyroidism.
  • Repetitive movements using hand and wrist can lead to the swelling of membranes surrounding the tendons.
  • If you have broken wrist bones, dislocated bones or new bone growth then this will increase the measure on the median nerve.


Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be caused by overuse injuries, such as work that requires:


  • Forceful or repetitive hand movements
  • Hand-arm vibration
  • Working for long periods in the same or awkward positions

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

As a result of the repetitive movements and constant pain, tissues around the wrist tendons become enlarged and compress the median nerve. Feeling pain in hands and fingers if below are your symptoms then you must opt for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.

  • Damage to nerve function/ Impaired or lost nerve function
  • Difficulty with muscle control
  • Numbness or tingling sensation
  • Pain in the hand, wrist and forearm
  • Reduced grip strength or weakness
  • Reduced muscle control
  • Difficulty in gripping objects

Treatments

Medications: Anti-Inflammatory medicines are prescribed to reduce swelling and lessen the pressure but will only temporarily mask the pain


Injections: Localized injections are used to ease pressure on the nerves that help in minimizing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Regenerative treatments aim to treat the problem causing pain as opposed to masking or numbing it.


Surgery: In a case where the pain persists and all other treatments have been exhausted, then carpal tunnel surgery may be the last resort

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