Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition that causes pain, numbness, and weakness in the wrist and hand, mainly in the thumb, index, middle fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most commonly diagnosed condition of the hand. It can affect the use of the entire arm and is caused by pressure on the nerve at the base of the palm (median nerve).
Due to the constant demands people place on their hands, surgery may be needed when symptoms are severe or chronic. For many people with CTS, however, hand therapy can relieve the symptoms. Hand therapy can help restore normal hand and wrist use without the need for surgery.
Who is at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome?
Women are three times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome than men.
Those with certain metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, are more susceptible to developing carpal tunnel syndrome, because these disorders directly affect the body’s nerves and therefore make them more susceptible to nerve compression.
Carpal tunnel is also associated with obesity, arthritis, pregnancy, and trauma. When the condition is brought on by pregnancy, the symptoms usually clear up within a few months after delivery.
Additionally, certain jobs that involve repetitive motion with your arm over an extended period of time may increase your chances of getting the condition.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can include burning, tingling, itching, or numbing sensation in the palm of the hand and thumb or index and middle fingers. At night, many people with carpal tunnel syndrome report their hands falling asleep.
With carpal tunnel syndrome, symptoms at first may come and go, but over time they tend to occur more often and become worse. Some people may start to feel like their fingers are swollen when they aren’t or they may have intermittent “shocks” in their thumb and fingers.
Over time, carpal tunnel syndrome can also affect your grip and ability to pinch causing you to:
drop things more often due to numbness or weakened muscles.
Have a hard time working with small objects, like the buttons on your shirt.
Have difficulty making a fist.
In severe cases, you may be losing muscle at the base of your thumb or finding it difficult to tell hot from cold by touch.
How is carpal tunnel syndrome treated?
There are many treatment options available for carpal tunnel syndrome that include both non-surgical and surgical approaches. Since it is a condition that comes on slowly and gets worse over time, it is best to treat it early for the best outcome.
Nonsurgical Treatments
May provide short-term relief and are best for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.
Splinting.
Wrist braces that support the wrist are recommended for those with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. Wrist braces help to keep the wrist immobile and lessen the pressure on the nerve.
Modify Your Activities.
Avoid or modify activities that may provoke symptoms if possible. Overall, it is best to keep your wrist in a straight, neutral position as much as possible.
Of course, being at work doesn’t always allow you to do this, so try some of these tips to help alleviate symptoms during the workday:
Take a break for 10-15 minutes every hour and stretch your neck, shoulders, wrists and hands.
Talk to your manager to see if you can change your desk, tools, or workstation setup.
Try to alternate which hand you use for your tasks.
Use only as much force as you need.
Don’t hold your tools too tightly or pound away at your keyboard.
Watch your posture. Try not to roll your shoulders forward, which sets off a chain reaction that makes wrist problems even worse.
Over-The-Counter Drugs. To ease the pain and swelling, take over-the-counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen as directed on the label.
Hand Therapy and Carpal tunnel syndrome:
Hand therapists may give you exercises to stretch and strengthen your hand and wrist muscles to relieve tension along the carpal tunnel region. They can also show you how to modify your routine motions in ways that eases the stress on your hands and wrists. Here at Soma Hand Therapy, we fully assess the nerves of your hands to pinpoint the source of your symptoms. Often, patients report improvements in symptoms within their first visit.