If you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, you are most likely looking forward to getting treatment and being normal again. The tingling, numbness and pain associated with this problem can range from mildly annoying to extremely painful.
Carpal tunnel syndrome often occurs in conjunction with other underlying conditions, so your doctor will check for problems like arthritis, low thyroid function, and other ailments. If it turns out that you have one of these conditions, treating them will be the first step.
If you experience inflammation of the tissues in your wrist, your doctor may prescribe medications like NSAIDS to relieve the swelling. Sometimes reducing the inflammation alone will help diminish the discomfort as the swollen tissues recede from the nerve, leaving it undisturbed.Your doctor will attempt to diagnose the cause of your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. By discussing your activities with your doctor, you can determine whether you need to make adjustments in your daily activities in order to help heal the condition. You can also discuss strategies to prevent the condition from recurring.
The most critical thing is to avoid permanent nerve damage to the area. If you suffer from muscle weakness in your hand, you may be assigned certain exercises that are specifically designed to strengthen the area once your symptoms are under control.
It’s important to treat the condition to avoid permanent nerve damage. If you have experienced a loss of muscle strength in your hand, you will be given an exercise regimen to help rebuild strength after you have gotten relief from your symptoms.
Unless your symptoms are very severe, your doctor will first try a number of non-surgical treatments to correct the problem. The first step is often a wrist brace, which helps keep your wrist immobile and in a neutral position to avoid pressure on the median nerve. Some people only wear the brace in the night time, while others experience marked relief from pain if they wear it during the day as well.
In most cases, you will be advised to adjust your activities and avoid tasks that may exacerbate your symptoms. If you cannot avoid these activities entirely, you’ll need to take breaks often so that your wrists get rest from the continual strain.
If you are seeing a change for the better, your doctor will probably recommend more of the same. If your symptoms are getting worse, you may go through further testing to evaluate you for surgical treatment. Carpal tunnel release surgery cuts the ligament that forms the top of the tunnel your median nerve runs through. This will release the pressure on the nerve and ease your symptoms.
The surgical approach to this condition is called carpal tunnel release surgery. It works by cutting the ligament that makes up the top of the canal through which your median nerve runs. This relieves the pressure on the nerve to alleviate your symptoms. The surgery has a high success rate in relieving the pain, but if you have experienced permanent nerve damage, you may have some residual pain or numbness. You’ll need to rest your wrist completely for several weeks after the surgery.
If you’d rather not have surgery, you may want to try exercises and stretches to gain a measure of relief. A physical therapist may also be able to help you design a plan to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.