Treatment for Carpal Tunnel

What is Carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition where the median nerve in your arm becomes entrapped at the wrist. Symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand. Common causes for carpal tunnel syndrome include repetitive stress of the wrist muscles from work or sports activities. Other causes include hypothroidism and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Treatment Options

For mild carpal tunnel syndrome treatment includes wrist splint and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, alleve, and advil. For patients who have more painful and persistent symptoms injections are a warranted next step, including a new non-surgical procedure.

Carpal tunnel injections

Traditionally steroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome has been used. This can result in transient relief of symptoms.

New treatment for Carpal tunnel 

A newer treatment for carpal tunnel includes injecting without steroids. This procedure utilizes ultrasound to guide the injection precisely into the nerve sheath. This allows not only more targeted and specific therapy, but also allows a procedure called hydro-dissection. Hydro-dissection is a process of injecting saline around a nerve which allows decompression of the nerve entrapment. In other words, relieving the pressure against the median nerve which relieves the pain, numbness, and tingling symptoms. This is a non-surgical procedure that can be done in the office setting, and has minimal associated risks. Anecdotal experience has shown better results in patients who have the hydro-dissection procedure compared to steroid injection alone.

This same procedure can be used for other nerve entrapment conditions such as tarsal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, peroneal nerve entrapment, and other similar conditions.