It is a condition characterized by pain, numbness and weakness in the hand, fingers and wrist as a result of the compression of the median nerve in the tunnel consisting of bones and ligaments through which it passes in the inner part of the wrist.
Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- The main reason is that the ligaments forming the wrist canal thicken and compress the nerve. More:
- People or occupational groups that frequently make repetitive wrist movements
- It causes narrowing of the canal in wrist joint fractures and dislocations.
- In professions that use vibrating tools
- In cases of alcoholism, diabetes, extreme obesity
- People with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, uremia, amyloidosis
- May occur temporarily during pregnancy
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms
- Night pains are especially evident. Patients say that their hand feels like it is being crushed under a weight. They often wake up due to pain or have difficulty sleeping.
- They want to shake their hands in the morning to relieve them because they feel swollen and tense.
- Numbness and tingling are especially evident in the first three fingers.
- Numbness is evident in the fingertips
- They sometimes have difficulty grasping objects with their hands, especially tasks such as working with the keyboard for long periods of time, driving the steering wheel, and writing may become difficult.
In these patients, the diagnosis is made by hand-wrist examination and Electromyography (EMG).
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
- Avoiding repetitive movements that strain the wrist,
- Using hand-wrist splints that keep the wrist in a neutral position at night
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Steroid injection
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
Release of the nerve with a small incision under local anesthesia.