If you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, you are most likely looking forward to getting treatment and being normal again. The tingling, numbness and pain associated with this problem can range from mildly annoying to extremely painful.
Because carpal tunnel syndrome can be related to other conditions, your doctor will likely run tests for conditions like low thyroid function, arthritis, and certain other problems. If you are diagnosed with one of these problems, you'll need to receive immediate treatment.
If you are suffering from inflammation of the tissues surrounding the affected area of your wrist, your doctor is likely to prescribe NSAIDS or other drugs to reduce the swelling. Sometimes this is sufficient to relieve your symptoms, since the nerve compression will not be as severe as the swelling goes down.
Your doctor will make a thorough examination to get to the root cause of your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. You can discuss with your doctor the activities you regularly perform in order to come up with a plan in case you need to make adjustments to your daily routine to let your wrist heal. You'll also learn prevention strategies to keep the problem from flaring up in the future.
It's important to treat the condition to avoid permanent nerve damage. If you have experienced a loss of muscle strength in your hand, you will be given an exercise regimen to help rebuild strength after you have gotten relief from your symptoms.
Some people only need to wear their brace at night, while others also find relief if they wear it during the day as well. Some people will receive injections of corticosteroids to relieve pain and swelling. While they can be very good for pain relief, if you have diabetes, you should be cautious not to have too many.
Corticosteroids can interfere with your insulin levels. You will be told to avoid some tasks that may be causing symptoms, or at least to take frequent breaks to let your wrists get some rest. After several weeks of this, you may be re-evaluated to see if you are getting any relief from the symptoms.
After you've been on your treatment routine for several weeks, your doctor may want to follow up with you to check on the progress of your symptoms. If you notice that your painful symptoms are diminishing, chances are you'll continue with the same treatment regimen. If you are getting worse, you may be referred for further testing; your doctor may want to discuss the possibility of surgery to correct the problem.
The surgical approach to this condition is called carpal tunnel release surgery. It works by cutting the ligament that makes up the top of the canal through which your median nerve runs. This relieves the pressure on the nerve to alleviate your symptoms. The surgery has a high success rate in relieving the pain, but if you have experienced permanent nerve damage, you may have some residual pain or numbness. You'll need to rest your wrist completely for several weeks after the surgery.
You may also want to see about physical therapy to treat the problem.
Because carpal tunnel syndrome can be related to other conditions, your doctor will likely run tests for conditions like low thyroid function, arthritis, and certain other problems. If you are diagnosed with one of these problems, you'll need to receive immediate treatment.
If you are suffering from inflammation of the tissues surrounding the affected area of your wrist, your doctor is likely to prescribe NSAIDS or other drugs to reduce the swelling. Sometimes this is sufficient to relieve your symptoms, since the nerve compression will not be as severe as the swelling goes down.
Your doctor will make a thorough examination to get to the root cause of your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. You can discuss with your doctor the activities you regularly perform in order to come up with a plan in case you need to make adjustments to your daily routine to let your wrist heal. You'll also learn prevention strategies to keep the problem from flaring up in the future.
It's important to treat the condition to avoid permanent nerve damage. If you have experienced a loss of muscle strength in your hand, you will be given an exercise regimen to help rebuild strength after you have gotten relief from your symptoms.
Some people only need to wear their brace at night, while others also find relief if they wear it during the day as well. Some people will receive injections of corticosteroids to relieve pain and swelling. While they can be very good for pain relief, if you have diabetes, you should be cautious not to have too many.
Corticosteroids can interfere with your insulin levels. You will be told to avoid some tasks that may be causing symptoms, or at least to take frequent breaks to let your wrists get some rest. After several weeks of this, you may be re-evaluated to see if you are getting any relief from the symptoms.
After you've been on your treatment routine for several weeks, your doctor may want to follow up with you to check on the progress of your symptoms. If you notice that your painful symptoms are diminishing, chances are you'll continue with the same treatment regimen. If you are getting worse, you may be referred for further testing; your doctor may want to discuss the possibility of surgery to correct the problem.
The surgical approach to this condition is called carpal tunnel release surgery. It works by cutting the ligament that makes up the top of the canal through which your median nerve runs. This relieves the pressure on the nerve to alleviate your symptoms. The surgery has a high success rate in relieving the pain, but if you have experienced permanent nerve damage, you may have some residual pain or numbness. You'll need to rest your wrist completely for several weeks after the surgery.
You may also want to see about physical therapy to treat the problem.
About the Author:
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself. If you think you might be developing from CTS, click on this link to learn some simple carpal tunnel exercises that can help stop the progression of CTS and ease existing symptoms.
1 comment:
Very informative
Carpal Tunnel Stretches
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