Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment

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How is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treated?

In some cases Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and its associated symptoms can dissipate without any treatment or interference. During pregnancy for example it is common for women to suffer from the condition as a result of water retention or other factors putting pressure upon the median nerve. In most cases this will reduce within 6 to 12 weeks of the baby being born, although in some situations where the nerve has been severely compressed the symptoms can become chronic (long lasting) and in these cases treatment is usually required.

If the condition has been brought upon by frequent or repetitive use of vibrating machinery or any other repetitive task, in some cases relief can be brought by reducing the time spent performing those tasks; essentially giving the patient a rest from whatever was exacerbating the condition. But similarly with pregnancy: if the damage is more severe then treatment might be the only option.

There are essentially three types of treatment that you might be offered, depending on the severity of the damage:

Wrist Splints

Wearing a splint around the wrist can prevent it from bending. Bending the wrist can increase the pressure on the nerve that in turn can aggravate symptoms. (This is why Phalen’s Test involves bending of the wrist to increase the pressure upon the nerve to ascertain whether or not CTS is the cause of the pain). Under normal circumstances with the use of a splint you should notice an improvement within a few weeks.

Steroids

Steroids are hormones produced naturally within the body, in some cases these take the form of powerful chemicals that can help reduce inflammation. Corticosteroids perform in this way and can be taken as tablets, although in most cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome the steroids will be injected directly into the affected wrist with the aim of reducing the inflammation that is causing the pain and other issues.

Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery

If splints and steroid injections have not worked, or are not suitable, then the last resort is surgery; performed either as open surgery where the wrist is cut open and the carpal ligament is cut to reduce pressure on the nerve, or sometimes through the use of keyhole surgery where special instruments are inserted through a small incision in your hand or wrist, also aiming to cut the carpal ligament but with less visible scarring after the operation. In both cases the operation can be performed under a local anaesthetic and will usually only involve an outpatient appointment at the hospital or surgery.

Risks

As with all surgical procedures there is a risk that things might not go entirely to plan during the operation, or as a result of the surgery. Issues that can arise include infection, nerve injury, scarring or bleeding after the operation. In some cases the symptoms can return even after successful surgical intervention and so it is usually the case that less invasive methods (splints and steroids) are used before going down the surgery route. If you were to suffer from complications after surgery and believe that it was due to the surgery being performed incompletely or incompetently then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation on the grounds of medical negligence.

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