The numbness and tingling that you experience in your hands could be a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a common issue for many people, especially those who use their hands throughout the day. Although it can be a bit more difficult to treat carpal tunnel if you’ve had symptoms for some time, it’s usually never too late for you to seek help so that you can comfortably write and use your hands while taking part in daily activities. Below is more information about carpal tunnel treatment.
The numbness that you experience in your hands associated with carpal tunnel syndrome will likely occur infrequently at first. It will usually get worse over time to the point where you might drop things that you’re holding when you lose feeling in your hands. The numbness might become so severe that you wake up at night because of the pain that you feel in your hands. Keep in mind that carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that involves the compression of the median nerve. As the nerve narrows, it prevents the proper blood flow through your arm, wrist, and hands. This results in the numbness that you experience.
You’ll usually notice a tingling sensation in your thumb and index finger before the other fingers in your hand. The pinky usually isn’t impacted because it’s a good distance from the median nerve and because there’s a separate nerve that controls the movement of your little finger. Because of the nature of activities that are performed, women usually experience carpal tunnel more than men. Pregnancy also increases the chances of carpal tunnel as well. Some of the other factors that can increase your risk of developing carpal tunnel include obesity, drinking, diabetes, and issues with your thyroid. However, it’s usually not too late to seek carpal tunnel treatment even if you’ve been experiencing symptoms for a long period of time.
When you meet with our doctor to talk about your symptoms, a diagnosis can usually be made rather quickly. For a definitive diagnosis, our doctor might order an electrical stimulation test to determine how quickly it takes signals to get from one area of your arm to the nerves in your hands. If the length of time is slow, then it’s usually an indication that you do have carpal tunnel syndrome. Wrist splints can be worn to keep the nerve straight so that it doesn’t compress on itself. However, if you’ve had symptoms for some time, then surgery is likely the best carpal tunnel treatment to consider.
Learn more about carpal tunnel syndrome and how long you should wait to seek treatment by visiting Plymouth Bay Orthopedic Associates in Plymouth, Duxbury or Sandwich. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!