For millions of people with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the simplest of hand movements can cause sharp, piercing pain.
It is classified as a repetitive motion syndrome that is caused when a key nerve in the wrist area becomes compressed.
With this condition, inflamed tendons cause compression of a nerve in the wrist area, which results in pain and other neurological symptoms. On this page, I will explore the causes, symptoms and treatments for CTS.
The carpal tunnel is a small sheath at the base of the wrist, through which the median nerve and various tendons pass.
The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of your thumb and fingers.
It lies adjacent to tendons that control the movement of the thumb and fingers of the hand.
When these tendons become irritated, because of repetitive motions done over long periods, they become swollen, applying pressure to the median nerve.
This can cause pain, numbness or weakness in the hand and/or arm.
For some, the disorder is a result of some genetic predisposition.
For these people, the carpal tunnel is smaller in some individuals than in others.
This would mean that it is easier for the tendons to become inflamed, thereby applying pressure to the median nerve.
Other possible causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Injury to the wrist area
Work stress
Rheumatoid arthritis
Repeated use of hand tools that vibrate
Hypothyroidism
An overactive pituitary gland
However, in some cases, there is no recognizable cause.
What Are the Symptoms of CTS?
The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome usually appear gradually, with pain or burning, perhaps a tingling or numbness in the arm or hand, particularly the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers.
The symptoms initially present themselves at night, when a person is sleeping, as most people sleep with their wrists in a flexed position. You may wake up feeling as though your extremity has gone to sleep.
As the condition progresses, you will begin to feel tingling or burning during the day, with decreased grip strength, making it moderately difficult to grasp small objects. You may experience a radiating pain, traveling up the arm.
You may also feel as if your hands are swollen, even though you there may not be any visible signs of swelling.
How Is It Treated?
Treatment may involve a number of medical professionals, including your doctor, physical and occupational therapists.
Initially, they may recommend resting the affected hands for at least two weeks, avoiding any motions that could cause this condition to worsen.
They may also immobilize the wrist, placing it in a splint to restrict motion of the wrist preventing any further damage.
Your doctor may prescribe medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including Advil, Motrin, or ibuprofen. These medications may only be effective if the symptoms are relatively new.
Your doctor may inject corticosteroids directly into the wrist to relieve pressure on the median nerve, providing temporary relief.
Your physical therapist may recommend you do specific exercises or he may use different modalities to treat your carpal tunnel syndrome. For example he may recommend you do gliding exercises, exercises that help your tendons and nerves move more smoothly through your carpal tunnel.
He may also recommend a contrast bath, dipping the affected area in warm water, followed by immersion in cold water. This may help to reduce symptoms in some individuals.
He may also do an ultrasound treatment to the area. He will use a special ultrasound machine that delivers high frequency sound waves to the area to help relieve pain.
Applying an ice pack to the area from 15 to 20 minutes may help temporarily relieve the pain.
As a last resort, your doctor may recommend surgery to the area. Surgery is usually recommended if the symptoms have lasted for six months. With surgery, the band of tissue surrounding the wrist is severed, reducing pressure on the median nerve.
Who Is at Risk For Developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Women are three times as likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome as men, probably because the carpal tunnel is smaller in women than men.
Their dominant hand will usually be affected first with the most severe pain.
It is not restricted to any particular type of job, but is particularly common in those individuals performing assembly line work.
In fact, CTS is 3 times more common in assembly line jobs than data entry jobs.
A 2001 study, done by the Mayo Clinic, found that heavy computer use, up to seven hours a day, did not increase a person's risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Research indicates that if your job requires you to do forceful, awkward, repetitive motions, you are more at risk for developing this condition.
You may also be likely to develop this condition if you have relatives that have it.
Can There Be Complications with CTS?
If the median nerve remains compressed for an extended period, the nerve may begin to deteriorate. This may cause a loss of feeling in the fingers, along with weakness near the base of the thumb. If the condition is left untreated, it could also lead to permanent deterioration of muscle tissues in the area.
Given our assembly line economy, carpal tunnel syndrome is becoming an unpleasant byproduct of our modern day workforce.
CTS can become a progressively painful condition, restricting the most common activities of daily living.
Your pain may be more than a passing muscle cramp; it may be a condition with serious consequences if not treated.
For millions of people with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the simplest of hand movements can cause sharp, piercing pain.
