RI Hand & Orthopaedic Center. Leonard Hubbard, MD

Signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome

[from Amercian Society for Surgery of the Hand] carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms usually include pain, numbness, tingling, or a combination of the three. The numbness or tingling most often takes place in the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. The symptoms usually are felt during the night but also may be noticed during daily activities such as driving or reading a newspaper. Patients may sometimes notice a weaker grip, occasional clumsiness, and a tendency to drop things. In severe cases, sensation may be permanently lost and the muscles at the base of the thumb slowly shrink (thenaratrophy), causing difficulty with pinch.

Treatment of carpal tunel syndrome

Symptoms may often be relieved without surgery. Identifying and treating medical conditions, changing the patterns of hand use, or keeping the wrist splinted in a straight position may help reduce pressure on the nerve. Wearing wrist splints at night may relieve the symptoms that interfere with sleep. A steroid injection into the carpal tunnel may help relieve the symptoms by reducing swelling around the nerve.

When symptoms are severe or do not improve, surgery may be needed to make more room for the nerve. Pressure on the nerve is decreased by cutting the ligament that forms the roof (top) of the tunnel on the palm side of the hand (see Figure 3). Incisions for this surgery may vary, but the goal is the same: to enlarge the tunnel and decrease pressure on the nerve. Following surgery, soreness around the incision may last for several weeks or months. The numbness and tingling may disappear quickly or slowly. It may take several months for strength in the hand and wrist to return to normal. Carpal tunnel symptoms may not completely go away after surgery, especially in severe cases.

At the RI Hand & Orthopaedic Center, we provide the best personalized treatment, surgical options and rehabilitation services for our patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Our surgical options include the short incision procedure for carpal tunnel. We are the only treatment center in Rhode Island offering this highly-effective, minimally-invasive procedure.

We work with our patients to get them back to doing the things they love quickly and with a minimum of discomfort. We offer comprehensive treatment which means we will help to coordinate surgical and non-surgical treatment, referrals, and we provide occupational therapy at our in-house therapy unit as needed.