Carpal tunnel is one of the most common disorder found in the young and old. It is more common now with repetitive typing and activities. Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel and get the right treatment.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common disorder that can cause numbness and tingling in the fingers and burning pain that can extend up to the elbow as well as hand weakness in severe cases. CTS is caused by compression (entrapment) on the Median nerve as it passes through the wrist area.
Identify the risk factors
- Obesity
- Female gender
- Coexisting conditions (eg, diabetes, pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorder)
- Genetic
When to get tested?
Numbness and tingling in your fingers that wakes you up at night and is better with shaking, massaging or holding your hands under warm water. There can be a dull, aching discomfort in the hand, forearm or upper arm.
Symptoms brought on by sleep, driving, reading, typing, and holding telephone.
Hand weakness when holding objects, turning keys in door knobs, buttoning clothes, or opening jars.
Symptoms can come and go and in some cases can progress to more persistent numbness.
How is carpal tunnel diagnosed?
Your doctor will conduct a history and neurological exam, checking your sensation and strength.
An EMG/NCS done together at Neurotest of New York are the best tests to confirm and diagnose carpal tunnel accurately. The test can help gauge the severity of nerve damage even in minor cases to aid in decisions about surgery. An EMG/NCS can also help exclude other diagnoses that can produce similar symptoms.
You can get the EMG/NCS test as early as 1 month after the start of symptoms.
Treatments
The management of carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity of symptoms and the degree of nerve damage seen on EMG/NCS. Non-surgical therapies can offer you symptom relief for many months. However, surgery is the treatment of choice if you have evidence of ongoing nerve damage or do not respond to non-surgical treatments.
- Wrist splints help keep your hands in a neutral position
- Steroid injection help to control inflammation
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Surgery for severe cases that do not improve with the non-surgical treatments
- Other limited or unproven therapies include yoga, carpal bone mobilization, nerve gliding exercises, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, laser therapy, magnetic therapy