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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CTS is the result of compression of the wrist's median nerve which in turn causes pain and numbness in the hand
502 Questions
Will you be asleep during carpal tunnel surgery?
Talk with your doctor. Some minor surgery is performed under a local anesthetic- you will be awake, but you won't feel anything in your hand. Some surgery is performed under a general anesthetic- you go to sleep.
What does one do to help with their recovery after carpal tunnel surgery?
Physical therapy can work wonders on getting the body to heal. Your insurance should cover the cost of physical therapy for a few weeks. If you cannot get physical therapy, ask your doctor for some recovery recommendations.
What type of doctor repairs carpal tunnel?
Orthopedic hand surgeons account for about 90% of carpal tunnel surgeries. The other 10% or so are done by neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons.
How much is carpal tunnel workers compensation settlement?
Worker's comp does not pay for mental stress
What is the typical prognosis for untreated carpal tunnel syndrome?
In the worst case scenario, untreated carpal tunnel syndrome can result in permanent numbness and weakness in the hand.
The numbness shows up in your thumb, index, middle, and half of your ring finger.
The weakness is in your thenar muscles - at the base of the palm side of your thumb.
To see a video showing you where these muscles are and an example of thumb muscle atrophy, see the attached video link.
The treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome is known as a?
The surgical treatment of carpel tunnel syndrome is called "Carpal tunnel release". This is a procedure that cuts into the ligament that is putting pressure on the nerve. Surgery is usually successful however the degree of success depends on severity and duration of nerve compression.
Can you get carpal tunnel more the once?
It is a "condition" or injury to the median nerve. Many people notice symptoms that come and go depending on useage etc...but they usually still "have" the condition that is effecting the median nerve. Without having certain tests before and after symptoms it would be impossible to say for sure that it is gone or you really ever had the actual syndrome vs hand strain etc.. Some women get CTS with pregnancy due to the increased swelling..but the symptoms usually resolve after delivery and some of them will get it with every pregnancy.
Will carpal tunnel affect your shoulder?
No it will effect the thumb side of your hand up to half of your ring finger. If you are finding tingling numbness or pain in the shoulder and arm you may have to look for problems in the vertebrae.
What do they do when you have to do surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome?
If you are preparing to undergo carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, a key thing to organize is to have someone with you, not only to assist straight after the surgery, but also for the next few days after.
Can three numb fingers be cured?
If they are the thumb the two fingers next to itand half of the ring finger, (along the length, you may be having trouble with carpal tunnel syndrome. And yes it can be cured. I had the problem in both hands and had them fixed. The procedure involves taking pressure of the nerves in charge of that part of the hand.
Can falling on your hands cause carpal tunnel?
Yes, falling on your hands can potentially contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. The impact may cause swelling or injury to the wrist, leading to increased pressure on the median nerve, which runs through the carpal tunnel. Repeated trauma or strain can exacerbate these issues, increasing the risk of symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, such as pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and fingers. However, carpal tunnel syndrome can also result from various other factors, including repetitive motions and underlying health conditions.
What is the surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome called?
Carpel tunnel surgery is usually done by an orthopaedic surgeon.
Other types of surgeons who perform carpal tunnel release surgery:
- plastic surgeon
- general surgeon specializing in hand surgery
These three types of surgeons will often seek additional certification from groups like the American Society for Surgery of the hand (http://www.assh.org). They may have what is called a "Certificate of Additional Qualifications" in hand surgery, or CAQ.
This certification or membership in the ASSH guarantees nothing in terms of quality, but indicates they have spent extra time and effort improving their education in the field of hand surgery and shows some degree of passion for treating your particular problem.
How do you cure carpal tunnel?
There is no complete cure of carpal tunnel, but you can can prevent it with pain medication, wrist braces, and be gentle towards the area(s) you have carpal tunnel.
How long do you have to be out of work after carpal tunnel surgery?
Expect to be off work for at least a week.
The main problem with recovery from the CT op is simple tasks such as buttons, dressing, bra straps (if female), typing, lifting any object, etc because it is very difficult to move the hands in certain ways!
Recovery from the General Anesthetic can take a little while.
The pain responds very well to anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
For about 6 months after the Op you should be careful about how you move the hand and lift objects, especially things such as a driving where it is easy to forget yourself... If you push it you hand will let you know with some short sharp pain!
Is it ok to fly the day after carpel tunnel surgery?
I believe so, I have to fly and get my surgery done and was told that I can fly back home the day after.
What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome associated with nerve compression?
People with carpal tunnel syndrome initially feel numbness and tingling of the hand in the distribution of the median nerve (the thumb, index, middle and part of the fourth fingers). These sensations are often more pronounced at night and can awaken people from sleep. The reason symptoms are worse at night may be related to the flexed-wrist sleeping position and/or fluid accumulating around the wrist and hand while lying flat Carpal tunnel syndrome may be a temporary condition that completely resolves or it can persist and progress.
What does carpal tunnel affect?
Carpal tunnel is actually the name of the area in your wrist where nerves and tendons pass through. If the median nerve gets compressed or pinched in some way, this can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Typically it can cause night or morning symptoms of numbness and tingling of the hands (first 2 or 3 fingers) and sometimes pain. If it goes on long enough w/o treatment, you can lose muscle tone and grip strength in your hands.
There are 8 carpal bones on each hand/wrist. These comprise of the scaphoid, hamate, lunate, capitate, triquetrum, trapezoid, trapezium and pisiform. See below for illustration.
Is there such thing as carpal tunnel syndrome in your elbow?
No. the carpal tunnel is an area that runs in the hand just under where it joins the wrist. Nerves run through this area that control the fingers, the thumb and the 2 and a half fingers next to it. A ligament in this area runs across this nerve and can for various reasons put pressure on the carpal nerve, leading to the following symptoms.
- Numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands
- Numbness or tingling of the palm of the hand
- Pain extending to the elbow
- Pain in wrist or hand in one or both hands
- Problems with fine finger movements (coordination) in one or both hands
- Wasting away of the muscle under the thumb (in advanced or long term cases)
- Weak grip or difficulty carrying bags (a common complaint)
- Weakness in one or both hands
When can you drive after carpal tunnel surgery?
The next day but you have to take care not to put too much pressure on the hand for a while. You must keep in mind also that in case of accident you may end up having trouble with your insurance . So you had better consult them as well.
What is Carpal Tunnel syndrome (CTS)?
Muscles and bones in the extremities are enclosed within a fascia. When some injury occurs let us say a crush injury in the forearm this leads to Edema/swellings. Further leading in an increase in pressure in the injured forearm. This alters the blood supply distally to the part of injury. In other words compression occurs and as in this case the median nerve will most likely be compressed too.
So when the pressure increases above than 40 mm hg then carpel tunnel syndrome is said to occur.
Impending signs of CTS are,
High risk injuries.
Pain which is not relieved by the usuall doses of analgesics.
Numbers and parathesia when a nerve is compressed.
Some clinical tests we do to detect CST are;
Phalen's maneuver is performed by flexing the wrist gently as far as possible, then holding this position and awaiting symptoms.[34] A positive test is one that results in numbness in the median nerve distribution when holding the wrist in acute flexion position within 60 seconds.
Tinel's sign, a classic, though less sensitive test, is a way to detect irritated nerves. Tinel's is performed by lightly tapping the skin over the flexor retinaculum to elicit a sensation of tingling or "pins and needles" in the nerve distribution.
Durkan test, carpal compression test, or applying firm pressure to the palm over the nerve for up to 30 seconds to elicit symptoms has also been proposed.
Treatment - Early reduction of the pressure that is being built inside.
If the patient is not that symptomatic then we can administer local corticosteroid injections. Or in case of an emergency we do a faciotomty. i.e. we make linear incisions on the lateral aspects of the forearm.
It is the medical term for enlarged heart. (Cardio = Heart, megaly = enlarged)
Can carpal tunnel come back after surgery?
Yes there will be some pain, discomfort etc..because you had surgery..your skin and tissue beneath the skin were cut. Your numbness and tingling in the fingers should subside from that day to several weeks just depending on how much swelling you are having. There are also many other factors that can delay your CTS surgery healing from smoking to lawyers! Check link for complete details.
