Overview:

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common painful nerve disorder in hand & wrist experienced today. It occurs when your median nerve is compressed or squeezed at the carpal tunnel. It can cause numbness, tingling, pain or aching in your affected hand & fingers. Female are three times more frequently carpal tunnel syndrome than male. If you left untreated, it can lead to get worse & can be functionality debilitating.

Risk factors:

• Previously injured your wrist.
• Have a family member with carpal tunnel syndrome?
• Frequent use of a computer key board.
• Sewing.
• Painting.
• Writing.
• Manual labor.

Symptoms:   

• An ache or pain in your wrist, palm or forearm especially at night.
• Numbness or tingling of your thumb & fingers.
• Feel burning sensation in your middle & index fingers.
• Clumsiness of your hand when gripping any objects.
• Difficulty to gripping objects & holding tools.
• A swollen feeling in your fingers.

Diagnosis:  

• Phalen 's test: your doctor will ask you to flex your wrist forward with fingers pointing down as far as it will go at a 90-degree angle for up to one minute. If you feel tingling sensation or pain in your fingers within one minute, carpal tunnel syndrome is indicated.
• Tinel 's test: your doctor may gently tap on the front of your wrist with a reflex hammer. If you feel pain or electric shock like sensation in one or more fingers in this case, carpal tunnel syndrome is indicated.
• Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) test: By this electrical test, your doctor can confirm the diagnosis of your carpal tunnel syndrome & determine its severity. A small electric current is put through one of your fingers in this test. Electrodes are placed to your skin on the fingers & wrist to measure the speed of the nerve conduction ability. If the electric impulse are slowed down in your carpal tunnel, then it may be indicate carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Electromyography (EMG) test: By this test your doctor will confirm whether your condition is mild or severe. A fine needle electrodes are placed in various muscles of your forearm that receive impulses from the median nerve. The electric impulses in the muscle are measured on how fast & how well the median nerve transmits manage to muscle indicate if there is damage to this nerve.

Treatment:

• Wear splint or brace – wearing a splint or carpal tunnel brace on your affected wrist is often the first priority to start while you sleep. It may be used to keep your wrist in straight position & prevent it from bending. You may be advised to wear it for at least 4 weeks. It helps to you reducing swelling that may be causing this condition.
• Medication – you can take oral medication such as NSAID (acetaminophen) to reduced nerve specific pain for short term.
• Corticosteroid injection – doctor applied a cortisone injection directly into your carpal tunnel for relieving symptoms for week to months at a time & can be repeated.
• Physical therapy – performing specific hand & wrist exercises to strengthen & stretches your wrist & hand.
• Acupuncture.
• Yoga.
• Ultrasound therapy

Surgical treatment:

When conservative treatment are fail & presence of persistent neurological symptoms, your doctor may be decided to surgery. It is done by cutting a ligament at the bottom of your wrist which pressing the median nerve through a one-inch incision. its performed under local anesthesia. You don't require to stay in the hospital at night.