What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The carpal tunnel is a passage in the wrist through which the median nerve runs. This nerve controls the movement in your hand and fingers. When the median nerve is compressed, it causes carpal tunnel syndrome, restricting your hand’s ability to move and feel.
Advanced Dermatology’s hand surgery has helped many patients suffering from this condition in New York. Successfully restoring movement in their hand and fingers.
Symptoms
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms may initially feel as numbness in your hand or fingers. However, as the condition progresses, you may notice some of the following symptoms:
- Waking up in the middle of the night with hand numbness or tingling.
- Decreased grip and strength.
- Prolonged numbness.
- Tingling in your hand, fingers, and arm that does not subside.
Treatment
Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment depends on the severity of the condition and treatment options may include:
- Lifestyle changes that limit repetitive motions of your hand and fingers.
- Nerve gliding exercises to help the median nerve move better through the carpal tunnel.
- Immobilization by using a splint to lessen pressure on the median nerve.
- Prescribed medication to assist with swelling and pain.
- Hand surgery to release the carpal tunnel to ease the nerve pressure if none of the above treatment options work.
Contact Advanced Dermatology, New York for a medical consultation to see if you are a candidate for hand surgery.
Risks
All surgical procedures carry a risk of complications. There are two main types of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Open surgery during which the surgeon makes an incision, 2 inches long, from your wrist to your palm.
- Endoscopic surgery during which the surgeon makes two smaller openings and uses a camera to guide the operation.
Both procedures allow the surgeon to cut the ligaments atop the carpal tunnel, taking pressure off the median nerve. After surgery, the ligaments come back together but more space is left for the median nerve to pass through.
Potential hand surgery risks include:
- Bleeding.
- Infection.
- Sensitive scar.
- Injury to the median nerve.
- Injury to nearby blood vessels and nerves.
It is important to accurately follow post-surgery instructions to achieve the best possible results.
