The symptoms resulting from compression of the median nerve that runs through the wrist.
The risk factors associated whit the development of carpal tunnel syndrome are:
- Inflamation of the wrist,
- RA (rheumatoid arthritis),
- Wrist trauma, fracture,
- Repetitive hand movements,
- Position of extreme wrist flexion and extension,
- Endocrin disorders (diabetes, hypothyroidism),
- Pregnency,
- Alkoholism
Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms:
- Numbness, tingling, and burning pain in the part of the hand supplied by the median nerve- the humb, index finger, midle finger and half of the ring finger.
- Hand weakness,
- Difficulty feeling and handling small objects,
- Dropping objects
Treatments:
– Mild cases are relieved by rest or by splinting the wrist at night,
– Sometimes local injections of cortisone- type steroid drugs into the wrist will cure the condition,
– When nonsurgical treatment has failed, surgical treatment of the carpal tunel syndrome may be considered. The goal of surgery is to take pressure of the median nerve of the wrist. After the surgery the patients need physical therapy!