WristHasung Seoul Orthopedic Clinic
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel with numbness in the thumb and index finger
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and wrist. It happens when there is increased pressure over the median nerve within volar wrist.
People at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome are those occupation that involves repetitive wrist usage. Disease conditions at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Wrist fracture and dislocation
- Arthritic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout
- Pregnancy
- Extreme wrist motions
Carpal tunnel syndrome is also more common in women than in men.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
What are the main causes of carpal tunnel?
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Numbness, tingling, and pain in your thumb and index finger
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Muscular atrophy of the thenar muscle of the thumb (the area just below the thumb) will be visible if the symptoms become chronic
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As a self-diagnosis method, you can bend your wrist for more than 1 minute with your palm facing down, and check if you have numbness in your thumb and index finger.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
How to treat it?
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Step 1
Conservative Treatment
Depending on the severity or cause of disease, conservative treatment is usually started first providing the symptoms are not severe.
The first prescription is to apply splint and take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for about 2 weeks. -
Step 2
Injection of steroid and local anaesthetics
If there is no change in condition, you may need injection of steroid and local anaesthetics.
More than 90% of people may improve with just one procedure. -
Step 3
Prolotherapy
If patient does not see any improvement from above treatments Step 1 and 2, prolotherapy should be performed.
This will be performed 3 or 5 times every 2 weeks.
In general, the pain intensifies for 3 to 5 days but this is normal in the initial recovery stage. -
Step 4
Surgical Treatment
If there is no further improvement or symptoms persist for over a year, especially in the middle-aged patients over 50, you need to consider the surgical treatment such as endoscopic decompression or carpal tunnel release surgery.