CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

How many of you have experienced cramping or tingling pain in the fingers of your hand? Pain so severe that it disrupts your sleep and, no matter what you do, won’t subside?

If this sounds familiar, you might be dealing with a condition called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). CTS occurs when a nerve in the hand becomes compressed at the wrist joint, preventing it from functioning optimally.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) affects a wide range of people but is especially common among post-menopausal women, IT professionals who work long hours with repetitive wrist movements, and individuals who have had wrist injuries such as simple falls or fractures.

The main symptoms of CTS include:

• Tingling sensations in the index, middle, and ring fingers
• Diffuse hand pain
• In severe or long-neglected cases, noticeable thinning of the hand muscles compared to the opposite hand.

A clinician will typically diagnose CTS based on your medical history and a clinical examination involving specific manoeuvres that reproduce the symptoms. For a definitive diagnosis, a Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) study can be performed. This is a non-invasive test considered the gold standard for diagnosis of CTS.

Treatment Options for CTS:

The treatment approach depends on the severity of nerve compression and may include:

• Rest, splinting, and simple physiotherapy
• Steroid injections
• Surgical decompression of the nerve (for advanced cases).

In most cases, CTS is self-limiting, and simple exercises and wrist stretches can significantly reduce symptoms. For moderate cases, a steroid injection can alleviate inflammation within the nerve compartment, followed by rest, splinting, and rehabilitation.

For severe cases, surgical decompression is the preferred treatment. This involves a small 2 cm incision along the palm crease to release the compressed nerve. In very advanced cases where patients experience muscle weakness or hand muscle thinning, additional procedures may be necessary to restore hand strength and function, in addition to nerve decompression.

If you or someone you know is experiencing hand pain like this, book your appointment now.