Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : Tongue twisting name, but not a sinister problem

Pain is the commonest reason for seeking medical attention. Headaches, backache, earaches, all are equally important. But when pain occurs in the hand, particularly the dominant hand, in addition to the pain, disability adds to the agony.

Pain in the hand could be due to many reasons. Among them Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is quite a common condition. Despite the tongue twisting name it is not a sinister problem.

In Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, you will have pain in the hand particularly below the wrist. But sometimes it can radiate upwards along the forearm or arm. You may feel numbness or a tingling sensation in the fingers markedly over the thumb, index and middle finger. Sometimes, the pain may be so severe that it wakes you up at night. Decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. When the condition gets worse you will notice that the muscles in your hand are wasted.

All this is because a nerve supplying the hand gets compressed at the wrist. This can occur in both hands. Most of the time, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs without an underlying cause. But, obesity, pregnancy, diabetes and deficiency of thyroid hormones may predispose one to this condition.

When it occurs in pregnancy, it will spontaneously resolve after the delivery. But otherwise, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome needs surgical treatment. When you seek medical advice for this condition you will have to undergo nerve conduction studies to confirm the diagnosis. But usually the diagnosis is clinically obvious.

However if your doctor thinks that there is some underlying cause to it you may have to undergo a few other blood tests, to check your blood sugar, thyroid hormones etc. Ultimately definitive treatment is to divide the fibrous band of tissue which compresses the nerve at the wrist. While awaiting surgery, you can take pain killers to alleviate the pain. Resting the joint and splinting it especially at night may give a little relief.

Surgery is a minor procedure, taking about half an hour to 45 minutes. You do not need to be unconscious for the surgery because it is done under regional anaesthesia. You can go home the same day after the surgery. You will need to wear the dressing for a few days and pain killers will be given till the wound heals.

Following the surgery you need to keep the hand elevated for a few days and exercise your fingers just by moving them. Once there is no pain you can resume your normal activities.