Carpal tunnel syndrome
From ArticleWorld
Carpal tunnel syndrome is an overuse injury that causes swelling and impingement of the median nerve of the wrist. People who have jobs or activities involving repetitive flexion and extension of the wrist are at the highest risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Anatomy
The median nerve travels through the carpal tunnel on the flexor surface of the wrist. The carpal tunnel is bounded on three sides by bony surfaces and is covered by a fibrous tissue band called the flexor retinaculum.
The median nerve supplies the sensation and movement in the thumb, most of the palm of the hand, the second and third digits of the hand and approximately half of the fourth digit.
Causes
Women have a higher incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome than men. Repetitive movements of hand cause the nerve to become impinged by swelling of the tissue around it. Excessive typing can cause this condition as well. More rarely, trauma to the wrist can damage the median nerve.
Symptoms
The initial symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are numbness and tingling of the hands in the area supplied by the median nerve. The numbness is worse at night. Eventually, the numbness becomes constant and is associated with hand pain. Severe carpal tunnel can restrict the function of the hand.
Treatment
Most people will have resolution of their symptoms if they wear a carpal tunnel brace that tips the wrist slightly backward. The brace can be worn only at night or during activity or both. Anti-inflammatory medication and localized ice application can help. In cases where conservative treatment fails, surgery to one or both wrists, called a carpal tunnel release, can take the extra pressure off the median nerve and, in most cases, resolve the symptoms completely. If the carpal tunnel syndrome has damaged the nerve significantly, incomplete relief of symptoms is possible.