Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a prevalent condition that causes you to experience tingling, numbness, and pain in your forearm and hands. It happens when the median nerve, one of the major nerves, gets squeezed. It is a sensory and motor nerve that provides movement function to the hand, wrist, and forearm.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comes gradually but worsens over time. However, if you are able to treat it early on with the help of an orthopedic surgeon, you can dramatically slow its progress or completely put a halt to the syndrome. Here are some effective ways to treat it.
Relieve the Early Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
You must think of treating this condition the moment you start experiencing its early symptoms. At this stage, you can do many things on your part to prevent this condition from turning into a permanent dysfunction of the hand. Here are some measures you should take.
- Wear a wrist splint while sleeping. It holds the joints in a neutral stance. Usually, the symptoms of this condition worsen at night because you can bend your hand while sleeping. The splint stops this from occurring.
- Do not engage in activities that aggravate the symptoms. Rest your hands as often as you can. Do not engage in physical activities that trigger the symptoms.
- You can also try soaking your wrists in an ice bath a few times in an hour. Icing the wrists is an effective at-home remedy for relieving CTS pain.
- Place your hand in warm water. Now, flex and extend your wrist and hand. Do this about three to four times every single day.
- You can also try wrist braces in the early stages of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But you’ll need to give at least a month for the braces to ease your symptoms. It is good to wear a brace while you are preparing to sleep at night.
How Else Can Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Be Treated?
Apart from the simple measures mentioned above, you can also consult your doctor about taking oral corticosteroid medications. It reduces swelling and inflammation, thus minimizing pressure on the median nerve. You can also take this medication in the form of an injection into your wrist.
Another group of drugs for treating CTS is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These include Ibuprofen and aspirin for getting relief from pain.
If you don’t want to take over-the-counter medications, you can apply topicals such as menthol. However, it’s best to first consult with your physician and apply the topical treatment exactly as per the instructions on the package.
If CTS is associated with other medical issues such as arthritis or diabetes, the best route of treatment will be to control the underlying condition. As soon as you control it, you’ll see the symptoms improving.
When is Surgery a Suitable Option?
If the symptoms of CTS continue for too long, your doctor will suggest surgery. It is also a viable option when simple treatments like using bracing, administering corticosteroids, and the like don’t help.
CTS is treated with two main types of surgeries, open surgery, and endoscopic surgery. The former involves a large incision from the wrist to the palm. In the latter, the surgeon will create an opening in your wrist. After that, they’ll insert a tiny camera in the opening and cut the ligament around the carpal tunnel to relieve the pressure.
Get Lasting Pain Relief at Pain Care
At Advanced Pain Care, you can find experts with years of clinical and research experience. The pain specialists know that an effective treatment plan requires a complex and multimodal approach for long-term benefits. The medical professionals of the center treat all kinds of chronic and acute pain conditions. When you connect with an Advanced Pain Care center near you, you can access multiple pain specialists skilled at treating musculoskeletal pain such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. They carry out various tests to accurately diagnose the condition and treat it through various approaches such as physical therapy, lifestyle modifications, pain medications, and occupational therapy.
You can book an appointment online with any of the APC Centers convenient to your location. There are nine facilities in the Greater Austin Area, two in Amarillo, and four in Killeen. Bid goodbye to pain and hello to a new life where there’s no place for physical discomfort by connecting with a center near you.