Diagnosis and Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain, weakness, or numbness in your hand and wrist. It occurs when the carpal tunnel, the space in your wrist, narrows. Narrowing irritates the median nerve, which provides sensation to your thumb, index, middle, and ring finger, causing pain and swelling. You are at higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome Houston if you do activities that involve repetitive use of fingers. Tingling, pain, and numbness in your fingers are the early symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Other symptoms include losing finger sensation and challenges using your hands to do small tasks like handling small objects.

Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and physical examination to detect your finger sensation. The doctor can recommend further tests, including:

Tinel’s sign

Tinel’s sign involves your physician tapping over the median nerve in your wrist. Tapping helps the physician observe if the nerve produces a tingling sensation in your fingers.

Wrist flexion test

The wrist flexion test is where your doctor tells you to rest your elbows on a table and allow your wrist to fall forward freely. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you will feel tingling in your fingers within sixty seconds. The faster your symptoms appear, the more severe your condition.

X-ray

Your doctor can order an X-ray if you have limited wrist motion or proof of arthritis or trauma.

Electromyography

Electromyography is a test that shows how well your median nerve is functioning. It can also show how well it controls muscle movement in your hand.

Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome

Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity of your pain and if you have any weakness. There are various treatments for this condition, which include:

Non-surgical treatments

Non-surgical treatments help to treat less severe cases and allow you to carry on with your regular duties without interruption. These treatments include:

You can wear a wrist splint to support your hand in a neutral position, especially at night.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen can help reduce pain and inflammation.

Your doctor can treat underlying medical conditions like diabetes or arthritis.

Your doctor can inject corticosteroids into your carpal tunnel to reduce pain and inflammation.

You can make modifications in your workplace, like changing your hand position when working, moving your computer keyboard, or adjusting your chair position.

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment is essential if your carpal tunnel syndrome is severe or does not respond to non-surgical techniques. Surgery involves your surgeon cutting the transverse carpal ligament that covers the carpal tunnel at the base of your palm. The primary goal of surgery is to broaden the carpal tunnel, decreasing pressure on the nerves and tendons that pass through the space. The recovery period depends on your overall health and the severity of your carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the carpal tunnel, the space in your wrist, narrows. Wrists flexion test, x-rays, electromyography, and Tinel’s sign can help diagnose the condition. You can treat carpal tunnel syndrome with surgical and non-surgical treatments. Schedule an appointment with J. Michael Bennett, MD, PA, for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment to relieve your wrist pain.