What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome, described as a modern-day disease, is also known as median nerve entrapment neuropathy. Carpal means wrist bone. The carpal tunnel is the space located in the wrist that is used by the muscle ligaments and the nerve coming from the arm to pass into the palm. This space is tunnel-shaped, and the nerve passing through it is called the median nerve.
The median muscle and nerve ligaments fit inside the carpal tunnel, and any swelling or tissue compression that occurs here is called carpal tunnel syndrome. When the median nerve is compressed in this area for any reason and the muscle ligaments and nerves cannot fully perform their functions, symptoms such as numbness or a felt-like sensation in the hand occur. In summary, the answer to the question of what carpal tunnel syndrome is can be defined as the condition that occurs as a result of compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel.
What Are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
In the early stages of the disease, tingling occurs in the fingers other than the little finger. This is followed by numbness and weakness in the hand. Sometimes the pain and numbness can be severe enough to wake the patient from sleep. In some patients, these symptoms appear as wasting and shrinking of the muscles around the thumb due to pressure on the nerve. In more advanced stages, this may cause the thumb to lose strength and even lead to not feeling pain when the finger is injured. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are not limited to these; additional symptoms include dropping objects you are trying to carry due to weakness in the hand, difficulty performing ordinary daily tasks, intense numbness especially when the wrist is overused such as while driving, and finally hand cramps and swelling that occur especially when waking up in the morning.
Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Scientifically, there is no single cause of this disease. Today, excessive computer use is an important contributing factor. The causes of carpal tunnel syndrome seen in housewives are mostly frequent handicrafts, day-to-day house cleaning, and other repetitive tasks.
The use of vibrating tools, overactivity of the pituitary gland, and some traumatic causes prepare the ground for the disease. Increased pressure within the carpal tunnel due to different causes such as obesity, diabetes, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypothyroidism leads to the development of the disease.
How Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosed?
For the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, the patient’s history should first be heard. What are their daily activities? What kind of work are they engaged in? After obtaining answers to such questions, a diagnosis can largely be made, but the specialist physician will request an EMG test in order to establish a definite diagnosis.
With the electromyography test, the electrical activity within the nerve is measured and the specialist makes the diagnosis.
The other two methods that can be used for the diagnosis of the disease are Tinel and Phalen tests. The Tinel test is performed by tapping the thumb side of the wrist with a device called a reflex hammer. The aim here is to stimulate the tendon reflexes. If the diagnosis is correct, the patient states that they feel tingling or an electric shock sensation in the hand when tapped with the reflex hammer. In the Phalen test technique, if the doctor forcefully pushes the patient’s wrist downward and observes that the patient feels pain during and after this maneuver, a definitive diagnosis is made.
How Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treated?
If it is diagnosed early and the disease is in the initial stage, the symptoms can be relieved by restricting wrist movements and with the effect of anti-inflammatory medications. Steroid injections may reduce the swelling around the nerve, and improvement in symptoms may be observed. If no recovery is seen after several months of medication and resting the wrist, surgery, which is the next stage, comes into play. In order to enter the carpal tunnel between the palm and the wrist, specialists begin the operation by cutting the transverse carpal ligament that forms the roof of the tunnel. After reaching the median nerve and identifying the problem, it is eliminated and the surgery is completed in a short time. The recovery period may be long, especially in advanced cases. In the first months, complaints may even increase due to symptoms related to the surgery. In the following months, the patient’s complaints gradually decrease and disappear completely, with full recovery taking place within 3 to 6 months.
We have answered the question of how carpal tunnel syndrome is treated; not neglecting the exercises and check-ups recommended by the specialist after treatment will result in a shorter recovery period. However, in some severe cases, complaints may not completely disappear even if surgical intervention is performed. This is more commonly related to the patient being of advanced age, smoking, and not being well nourished. The physical therapy process that should be started after surgery will help you regain the muscle strength you have lost over time and help you return to your previous quality of life. Therefore, the physical therapy process should be completed fully.
A successful treatment, of course, primarily depends on early diagnosis. In cases where diagnosis and treatment are delayed, even if the pressure on the median nerve is relieved by surgery, full recovery may not be achieved. Therefore, from the moment you begin to feel the symptoms mentioned in the symptom section of the disease, you should consult your physician and help initiate the tests required for diagnosis.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
How does carpal tunnel syndrome go away?
In carpal tunnel syndrome, medication, splinting, and physical therapy applications may be used. Surgical treatment can also be performed for suitable patients.
Is carpal tunnel syndrome dangerous?
Carpal tunnel syndrome that is left untreated for a long time may cause adverse problems related to the hand and fingers.
Can carpal tunnel syndrome improve with physical therapy?
For many people with carpal tunnel syndrome, pain and numbness can be treated with physical therapy.
How many days does it take for carpal tunnel syndrome to heal?
After carpal tunnel syndrome is treated with surgery, improvement is seen after two weeks. In non-surgical methods, the treatment applied varies from person to person.
What should people with carpal tunnel syndrome avoid doing?
People with carpal tunnel syndrome should avoid tasks that strain their hands, wrists, and fingers, and they should not overexert themselves.
