Understanding Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment Options
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition caused by the compression of the median nerve. The carpal tunnel is a passageway on the palm side of the hand. If the median nerve that passes through it is compressed, this can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand.
There are many carpal tunnel syndrome treatment options. To understand the situation better, it’s a good idea to learn more about what causes carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Causes
Most of the time, carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by a combination of factors. In some cases, there are hereditary factors at play. For instance, the carpal tunnel is just naturally smaller in some people, making compression more likely. However, lifestyle factors contribute as well, such as:
- Repetitive use
- Repeating the same hand or wrist motions over and over can aggravate or inflame your wrist tendons. If this happens, it’s more likely that they become compressed as they pass through the carpal tunnel.
- This happens a lot with people who use their hands or wrists for work, such as those who work with small tools.
- Frequent use of power tools that vibrate (such as drills or jackhammers) can also cause issues.
- How you hold your hand or wrist
- Holding your hand or wrist in one place for a long period can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome. This is common in people who use computers for many hours at a time, especially if you’re doing so without ergonomic supports.
- Other health conditions
- Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid imbalance, or gout can increase the likelihood of carpal tunnel syndrome. Treating these conditions often help reduce carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.
The Different Treatment Options
To understand the best carpal tunnel syndrome treatment options for you, it’s important to learn more about what is causing your problem. A full evaluation will help us get to the root causes.
If you’re dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, diagnosis and treating it early is important. When you make an appointment to see us, we’ll conduct the right tests to diagnose your issue, then help you feel better. During our evaluation, we’ll look for health and lifestyle factors that could be contributing to your carpal tunnel syndrome, then provide you with a treatment plan that will alleviate pain and treat the root causes of your issue.
Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment options can range from wearing a split or brace to take pressure off your median nerve to physical therapy designed to increase flexibility and strength the muscles around your wrist. Our evaluation will help us find the right solutions for you.
If you have any questions about what we do or how we can help, please contact us today.