CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Carpal Tunnel syndrome is a condition that can cause a variety of symptoms in the hand. The carpal tunnel is a band of ligamentous tissue over the wrist bones underneath which run the nerves, blood vessels and tendons that supply the hand and fingers. As you can imagine the area is very tightly packed. Inflammation, irritation or swelling in the region will result in pressure on the blood vessels and nerves. This causes numbness, pins and needles and altered sensations in the hand.

It is often symptomatic at night because people commonly adopt a foetal type sleeping position where the wrists are flexed. Such a position, if adopted for a prolonged period, can cause pressure on the carpal tunnel structures. Carpal tunnel is commonly tested for by putting the wrist into this position for period of thirty seconds or more. Symptoms are often reproduced by such a test in the case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Treatment

If the condition is because of swelling in the tunnel this may be affected positively by physiotherapy to stimulate inflammation reduction. Splinting of the wrist, especially at night, can be beneficial. If none of these give permanent relief then surgery is considered. The ligamentous tunnel is simply cut to allow more room for the structures inside.

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