What is the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and how do we heal it?

Does your wrist hurt? Do you feel unable to perform daily tasks such as taking a breakfast cup or brushing your teeth? Maybe this is because the median nerve of your wrist is compressed or pinched, that is, you suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Symptoms

The symptoms begin gradually, like in other diseases or disorders. The median nerve is the responsible for the movement and sensitivity of the palm of the hand, thumb, index, middle and ring fingers, so symptoms will begin in those areas. We will start feeling heat, cramps, tingling, weakness or numbness. People between 30 and 60 years old commonly have these symptoms at night.

Over time, these symptoms also begin to appear during the day, getting worse and making daily tasks impossible to do and even making the distinction of temperature changes in the affected area impossible. Pain in the wrist and forearm will appear.

Causes

The causes of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be numerous; among them we can find repetitive movements with the wrist and the use of vibrating manual tools. We also find fractures, arthritis, cysts, infections, obesity, fluid retention, alcoholism, diabetes or simply being born with the small carpal tunnel among others.

All this causes an excessive pressure on the carpal tunnel tendons and the median nerve, generating a puncture which results in this pathology.

Treatments

Depending on the type of syndrome, we will choose one treatment or another. When it is due to a known cause (diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity …) the treatment of the primary cause will be applied.

If, on the other hand, there is no cause other than poor postures and repetitive movements of the wrist, treatments can vary: from adopting less traumatic movement habits, the use and injection of corticosteroids and the immobilization of the joint thanks to a splint In extreme cases, even surgery will be necessary.