Carpal tunnel syndrome is primarily marked by a pinched nerve in your wrist. This problem won’t get better on its own without treatment. Try that, and you could end up with permanent nerve damage. At Ortho 1 Medical Group, the surgical team offers complete care for carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients receive skilled surgical treatment when a carpal tunnel release is needed to relieve the pressure and restore normal function. Call the office in San Diego, Chula Vista, La Jolla, or Coronado, California, today or use the online booking feature to schedule an evaluation for carpal tunnel syndrome.
The carpal tunnel is a small opening in your wrist that allows several tendons and the median nerve to travel from your arm into your hand. When the tendons become inflamed, or the surrounding bones are damaged, the median nerve is pinched inside this passage. That’s when you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
You have a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome because you were born with a small carpal tunnel. Other things that lead to a pinched nerve include:
If you frequently perform the same hand and finger movements, the tendons become inflamed.
Doing ordinary activities with your wrist bent up (extension) or down (flexion) puts extra pressure on the nerve.
Any injury that changes the structures in your wrist can also narrow the carpal tunnel and pinch the nerve.
The median nerve serves your palm, thumb, second and third fingers, and part of your ring finger. When symptoms appear, you’ll experience one or more of the following:
At first, you have mild symptoms, but they get worse as the condition progresses.
In most cases, carpal tunnel syndrome treatment begins with nonsurgical therapies. These treatments are designed to relieve your symptoms, give the tissues time to heal, and regain normal nerve function. Your provider could recommend wearing a wrist splint at night, stretching and strengthening exercises, and tips for keeping your wrist in a neutral position (not bending it).
Your Ortho 1 Medical Group provider could recommend surgery when:
When you need surgery, your provider performs carpal tunnel release. This surgery relieves stress on the median nerve by cutting the ligament in the passageway roof. Carpal tunnel release is often the best (or only) way to ease your symptoms and regain the full function of your hand and fingers.
If you have symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, don’t delay seeking treatment. Call Ortho 1 Medical Group today or book an appointment online.
