Your carpal tunnel is a small passageway in your wrist that’s composed of several wrist bones and strong connective tissues. Because your carpal tunnel is made of bones and ligaments, it’s very rigid and can’t stretch or grow beyond its 1-inch thickness.
One of the main nerves in your hand is your median nerve. It originates in your neck and travels down your arm, through your elbow, and into your wrist where it passes through your carpal tunnel. Your median nerve provides feeling for your first three fingers and controls the muscles at the base of your thumb.
If you develop carpal tunnel syndrome (or simply carpal tunnel), swelling in your wrist or compression on the carpal tunnel puts pressure on your median nerve and cuts off the blood supply. This leads to nerve-related symptoms such as tingling, numbness, pain, and weakness.
Carpal tunnel is a very common condition, but it does require prompt and effective treatment to avoid long-term complications such as permanent nerve damage. At Valley Orthopedic Institute in Palmdale and Ridgecrest, California, orthopedic experts Anand Shah, MD, Mehul Taylor, MD, and Adam Amir, DO, lead our team in the diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel.
This month’s blog highlights what you need to know about this condition, including when surgery might be necessary to treat your carpal tunnel.
When you have carpal tunnel, symptoms usually develop gradually over time. You may initially notice them right when you wake up in the morning, and you might feel like you need to shake out your hands.
Carpal tunnel symptoms can include:
You may also notice that your hands often fall asleep and go numb, causing you to drop objects.
Anything that causes your median nerve to become irritated or compressed can lead to carpal tunnel. Some of the more common causes include using repetitive wrist motions, having arthritis, or spraining or breaking your wrist.
You always need to have carpal tunnel treated. Without the proper treatment, your carpal tunnel will only worsen and you risk permanent nerve damage.
At Valley Orthopedic Institute, we never start with surgery for treatment. After examining your hand and wrist and discovering the extent of your carpal tunnel syndrome, we cater a treatment plan that will work best for you.
First lines of treatment for carpal tunnel can include one or more of these options:
Nerve gliding exercises and other physical therapy strategies can also help reduce nerve compression.
In cases of severe carpal tunnel that last longer than six months and don’t respond to conservative treatments, surgery is most likely the only option for relief. However, it’s important to understand that surgery to treat carpal tunnel is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States and it doesn’t require a hospital stay.
During carpal tunnel release surgery, our team goes in and cuts the ligament that forms the roof of your carpal tunnel. This relieves the pressure on your median nerve and restores the function of your hand and wrist.
For expert carpal tunnel diagnosis and treatment, look no further than our team at Valley Orthopedic Institute. Schedule an appointment today by calling 661-949-8643 or using our online booking feature.
