Experiencing tingling or numbness in your hand? It could be Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – a surprisingly common issue that starts to affect the wrist and hand causing pain and discomfort.
What is Carpal Tunnel and how common is it?
- A nerve compression issue – one of the most common.
- Pressure on the 'median' nerve as it passes through the wrist
- It causes numbness, tingling, pain, and hand weakness.
- Affects around 3–6% of adults, and is more common in women.
How do you recognise it? What are risk factors?
- Gradually notice tingling or numbness in the thumb, index, middle, and ring finger on the palm side.
- Symptoms are often worse at night, waking people up, or after repetitive use
- It can cause weakened grip, resulting in dropping objects, and pain using the steering wheel while driving.
- Those at risk: people who do repetitive work, pregnant people, those with diabetes, obesity, arthritis, or thyroid disease.
- It’s most common in women aged 40–60.
How is it diagnosed?
- Your doctor will take a history and do an examination.
- They will refer you for nerve test to confirm the diagnosis.
- An early diagnosis helps prevent permanent damage.
What is the treatment?
- In mild cases, night splints to keep stop the wrist 'flexing' (bending over) while asleep and reducing activity.
- Manage underlying conditions which aggravate the condition such as thyroid issues, diabetes.
- Steroid injections can sometimes help.
- However, people are often referred to surgeon for a simple procedure to cut the ligament in the wrist that compresses the nerve.
- Most people recover well with excellent long-term results.
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