Carpal Tunnel Treatment

What Causes Carpal Tunnel?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve which runs through the carpal tunnel. The median nerve is located on the side of your palm closest to your thumb and it provides sensation to your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and part of your ring finger. Pressure or swelling within the carpal tunnel causes the median nerve to be compressed which leads to numbness, tingling, stiffness, or weakness in your hand or wrist.

This condition can occur in one or both of your hands. Sometimes other medical conditions can cause nerve compression in the carpal tunnel that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Medical conditions that are linked to carpal tunnel syndrome include high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnosing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you are experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, contact AICA Orthopedics in Atlanta. Our team of specialists will perform a physical examination of the wrist, hand, shoulder, and neck to check for nerve pressure or compression. Doctors check for sensitivity, tenderness, inflammation, and swelling. They will also check the sensations in your hand and fingers as well as test your hand strength.

When visiting AICA to get a diagnosis of the pain in your wrist, or to verify that you have carpal tunnel, you may be administered a physical examination and a number of tests.

A doctor’s physical examination will thoroughly evaluate the wrist, hand, shoulder, and neck. During this test, the doctor is looking specifically for signs of any kind of deformity within the body, including any signs of swelling and tenderness. These can be indicators of nerve pressure that is present in your wrist.

Diagnostic tests administered may include a nerve conduction study (NCS), which measures the nerve impulses and their conduction speed through the wrist. If the test reveals that you have a slower-than-normal conduction speed, you may likely have carpal tunnel syndrome.

You may also be administered an EMG (electromyograph) to confirm the diagnosis of carpal tunnel or any other related nerve disorder. An EMG is similar to the NCS although studies the muscle itself and can often measure whether or not pressure on the median nerve has caused any early denervation.

In some cases, other imaging tests may be administered during the diagnosis process to rule out other conditions, including x-rays, MRIs, Ultrasounds, CT scans, and more.

Treatment Options for Carpal Tunnel

Once our specialists have diagnosed you with carpal tunnel syndrome, they can begin to discuss your treatment options. The treatment option that is recommended will depend on the severity of your carpal tunnel and how tolerable the pain and discomfort is.

Minor instances of carpal tunnel can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications. Steroid injections can also be given to reduce swelling and inflammation in the hand and wrist, or your doctor may recommend wearing a brace to treat symptoms. The brace keeps your hand in place so it won’t overextend. Braces can also be worn at night to keep your hand in a neutral position while you sleep.

These forms of treatment may be all that’s needed for minor cases of carpal tunnel without having to worry about surgery. As the severity of pain and discomfort of carpal tunnel increases, different treatment options become more viable for relief.

For moderate instances, physical therapists at AICA can further help with pain and numbness associated with carpal tunnel, and chiropractors can provide spinal adjustments as well as extremity adjustments to improve nervous system health and minimize pain, swelling, and inflammation. Physical therapy and chiropractic care are both considered non-invasive forms of treatment.

Despite being non-invasive, they are highly effective at providing relief for carpal tunnel and other health conditions. Both treatment specialists help to realign the body back to its natural, effective state and help the body regain its natural strength. When the body is aligned correctly and strength has been
redeveloped, it allows you to move more effectively, helps the brain communicate with the body, and more. For these moderate cases of carpal tunnel, physical therapy and chiropractic may be enough to alleviate the pain and get you back to normal daily living.

Severe cases of carpal tunnel syndrome may require carpal tunnel surgery. If this is the case, our orthopedic surgeons will cut the tissue in your wrist that crosses the problematic median nerve. This relieves the pressure on your carpal tunnel to reduce the swelling, inflammation, and pain.

At AICA Orthopedics, we take our diagnosis and treatment of your carpal tunnel syndrome seriously. Our primary goal is always to address the root of the problem and provide comprehensive, customized treatment so you can live pain-free.