Identifying And Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain that is characterized as mild to intense wrist pain. It can be debilitating if left untreated or corrective action is not taken. The cardinal symptoms to look for are increased night time pain and pain that gets better when wringing the hands. Generally it occurs due to increased size (inflammation, cyst etc.) of the contents housed within the carpal tunnel OR decreased size (injury, compression or inflammation) of the tunnel itself. The compartment includes the median nerve. The median nerve has both, motor and sensory innervation. In most people, the sensory portion of the median nerve branches off just before entering the tunnel, so the patient will retain the ability to sense stimulus such as heat and pain. However, the motor branch enters the tunnel and if compression occurs one may have reduced motor skills, and in chronic cases, reduced finger mobility and muscle wasting may occur.
