It is easy to ignore the beginning symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome when you are busy with your manual tasks at hand. At first, you may experience a little discomfort with some tingling or numbness in your hand or wrist. However, once the symptoms have progressed to a sharp shooting pain through your wrist, you’re suddenly unable to perform simple tasks with your hands.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

You may pass off discomfort by convincing yourself that you are spending too much time on the computer. Or, maybe you slept with your body weight on your hand.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused when the median nerve in your wrist is compressed. The medial nerve controls the sensation and movement of your thumb and all fingers, except for your smallest finger. This nerve runs from your forearm to your hand along with several tendons passing through the carpal tunnel located in your wrist. The carpal tunnel is very small and any swelling in it will put pressure on the median nerve.

Swelling within the carpal tunnel may be caused from:

• Repetitive hand motions, including those performed during
  • Typing on a computer keyboard
  • Using a computer mouse
  • Assembly line work
  • Playing a musical instrument, such as a piano or guitar
• Illness, including:
  • Arthritis
  • Diabetes
  • Hypothyroidism
• Pregnancy or menopause
• Previous injury to wristarpal tunnel syndrome mainly occurs in adults. Women; however, are at a higher risk of developing the disorder than men as the carpal tunnel is likely to be smaller.

Symptoms may also include:

• Weakness in affected hand and wrist
• Burning or itching sensation in palm or fingers
• Difficulty sleeping at night due to pain from flexing wrists
• Inability to grasp small objects or make a fist

Treatment from a Carpal Tunnel Doctor

It is important to seek treatment from a carpal tunnel doctor as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms. Carpal tunnel can often be treated through non-surgical methods.

Milder cases of carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated by:

• Taking frequent breaks to rest hands
• Avoiding activities that make symptoms worse
• Icing the wrist

For more advanced cases of carpal tunnel, your carpal tunnel doctor may recommend:

• Wearing a wrist splint while sleeping to take pressure off the medial nerve
• Physical therapy to strengthen wrists and to learn better positioning of wrists during activities
• Lifestyle changes, including weight loss, exercise and quitting smoking
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen to relieve swelling and pain
• Surgery to cut ligaments in the carpal tunnel to relieve pressure on the median nerve

Best Carpal Tunnel Doctor in Orange County

Early diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome can help prevent permanent damage to your median nerve from occurring. In Orange County, Dr. Howard Marans of OCOrthopedic+ is the best carpal tunnel doctor with over 20 years of experience treating patients. After providing an accurate diagnosis, the Doctor will develop a treatment plan focused on your individual needs to provide relief from your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Please click the icon below to schedule your consultation online – or – 714.979.8981.