Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms and Treatments

By Alexander S Croog, MD

If you have numbness or tingling in your hands, there's a good chance you have carpal tunnel syndrome. This progressively painful condition affects thousands of people each year. It occurs when the median nerve in the wrist is irritated or compressed. The median nerve runs from the forearm across your wrist and into the palm and fingers, and provides sensation to the thumb, index, middle, and inner half of your ring fingers. It also powers some muscles of the thumb.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is especially common among people with a thyroid disorder, diabetes, and in the last trimester of a pregnancy.

In addition to numbness and tingling in the fingers, symptoms may include burning pain in the hand or pain that radiates from the wrist to the shoulder. Weakness in the hands and a tendency to drop objects are also common. Symptoms tend to be worse at night and patients often wake up having to shake their hands to restore sensation in their fingers.

There are specific tests a doctor can perform to determine if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as a wide range of treatment options. Splints are often used at night to provide relief. Anti-inflammatory medicines, which include cortisone shots, can alleviate pain. If surgery is recommended, minimally invasive open or endoscopic techniques provide effective long-term relief from symptoms and a rapid recovery.

The surgeon makes only a small incision at the wrist so there's less tissue damage and pain, and patients usually return to work and daily activities very quickly. If you are feeling any of the symptoms listed above, do not wait and make an appointment with your orthopedic surgeon as soon as you can.