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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Overview:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is characterized by nocturnal paresthesia along the median nerve.
- Patients are often awakened at night due to pain and numbness along the median distribution (Thumb, index finger, long finger, and radial half of ring finger).
- This pain resembles loss of circulation to the hand is commonly relieved by shaking or opening and closing of the fingers and hand.
- Patients commonly complain of weakness of the affected hand and loss of manual dexterity
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy and is caused by compression of the median nerve along its course through the Carpal Tunnel distal to wrist crease.
- The most common disease in differential diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is cervical radiculopathy (i.e. herniated disk in the cervical spine), however, these two entities may coexist in up to 70% of cases.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be diagnosed clinically. However, EMG and Nerve Conduction Study increase the diagnostic accuracy of this disease.
- Non-surgical management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome includes rest, NSAIDs, and use of wrist splints.
- Patients who are refractory to conservative measures are good candidates for neurolysis of the median nerve at the wrist, which is an outpatient procedure.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 14:26 |
