What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The median nerve travels down each arm and into your hands, passing through a narrow channel in your wrists called the carpal tunnel. When the nerve is compressed inside the channel, you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
You may inherit a small wrist that’s more susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome. The nerve also becomes pinched by:
- Repetitive Use: Tendons also travel through the carpal tunnel. When you repeatedly perform the same hand and finger movements, these tendons become inflamed and press against the nerve.
- Hand and Wrist Position: When you overextend or flex your wrist, pressure increases on the nerve in the carpal tunnel. Prolonged activities that keep your wrist extended or flexed lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Wrist Injuries: Any injury to your wrist can cause inflammation in the carpal tunnel and subsequent nerve compression.
- Health Conditions: Several health conditions can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. For example, wrist arthritis and uncontrolled diabetes cause tendon inflammation that leads to a pinched nerve.
- Hormonal Changes: Thyroid disorders and hormonal changes at pregnancy and menopause increase your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
What Symptoms Will I Develop with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel symptoms develop very slowly, so at first, your symptoms will be mild. Over time, you’ll begin to experience:
- Wrist pain that’s often worse at night
- Wrist tingling or numbness
- Weakness in your hand
- Dropping things due to a weak grip
- Tingling that radiates to your fingers
- Swollen feeling in your fingers even though they’re not swollen
When it goes untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome may cause permanent nerve damage and muscle wasting or loss.
How is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treated?
When the doctors at Orthocenter diagnose your carpal tunnel syndrome at an early stage, they may recommend one or more of these conservative treatments:
- Immobilizing your wrist
- Modifying your activities
- Taking NSAIDs
- Getting steroid injections
- Using nerve gliding exercises
If conservative options don’t lessen your pain, your doctor at Orthocenter may recommend a surgical procedure called carpal tunnel release.
Whenever possible, carpal tunnel surgery is done with endoscopic or minimally invasive surgery. Your doctor inserts a long, thin endoscope through a small incision on your wrist.
Using the camera and lighting in the endoscope, your doctor has a magnified view inside your wrist. Then tiny surgical tools are inserted through a second small incision and are used to cut tissues and eliminate pressure on the nerve.
As soon as you notice wrist pain or tingling, call Orthocenter, or book an appointment online to get early treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome.
