Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Part 2

The causes of carpal tunnel syndrome are many and include any condition that will narrow the carpal tunnel. Such conditions include:

Rheumatoid arthritis, menopause, diabetes, pregnancy (all these conditions lead to fluid build up and narrow the tunnel , thus compressing the nerve)

Repetitive use or injury of the wrist

Bad luck is often a cause of many medical disorders

The diagnosis of carpal tunnel requires a couple of tests to determine where exactly the nerve is being compressed. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, you will be referred to a surgeon or a neurologist.

Treatment

Those individual who have minor symptoms should discontinue whatever they are doing which arouses their symptoms. This includes taking break from repetitive work and applying cold packs to reduce the swelling on the wrist. The other options include wrist splints, pain medications, injection of corticosteroids and surgery.

Wrist splints can help relieve the pain while one sleeps. Splinting is ideal for individuals with mild to moderate symptoms. Most individuals need some type of medications to relieve the pain.

When the symptoms progress and the pain is continuous, surgery may be the only option. Today, the surgery can be accomplished using a camera and a very small incision. However, surgery should never be the first choice of carpal tunnel. The surgery is purely elective and should only take place after other non surgical interventions have failed.