Carpal Tunnel Specialist

What is carpal tunnel?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that involves the entrapment of your median nerve, which extends from your upper arm through your wrist. When your median nerve becomes squeezed or compressed, you typically experience pain, tingling, and numbness in your hand and arm.

Physicians once thought that overusing your hand and wrist in repetitive motions, like typing or playing the piano, led to carpal tunnel syndrome, but today orthopaedic surgeons understand that while repetitive motion or injury may aggravate the symptoms, carpal tunnel syndrome is most likely the result of genetics and a narrow carpal tunnel.

The carpal tunnel is the passageway through which the median nerve runs. Sometimes, irritated 

tendons or swelling can cause the nerve to become compressed through the tunnel.

What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel?

The most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:

• Tingling
• Numbness
• Weakness or difficulty using your hand and fingers
• Burning pain in your thumb, index, and middle fingers

Carpal tunnel syndrome doesn’t usually go away on its own and typically gets worse without proper treatment.

How is carpal tunnel syndrome treated?

At Utah Orthopaedics, the team creates a treatment plan that is specific to you in order to ease your symptoms. You might need to:

• Wear a wrist splint to keep your wrist in a straight position or help you sleep more comfortably at night
• Receive steroid injections to reduce swelling
• Undergo carpal tunnel surgery

Carpal tunnel surgery generally involves cutting the ligament that forms the top of your carpal tunnel to relieve the pinching and give your nerve more room.

After surgery, you may have some soreness, but your numbness should resolve very quickly. If your carpal tunnel syndrome pain is severe and treatment is delayed, surgery may alleviate your pain, but your numbness may take longer to go away.

To learn more about your options for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, call Utah Orthopaedics or request an appointment online.