Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain and other symptoms in the arm, wrist and hand. Coming from the Greek word Karpos (wrist) this condition affects up to 10 million americans and at least 60,000 in the UK, a similar condition in the foot is known as tarsal tunnel syndrome.For most sufferers the onset can be unclear and gradual. At Pain Genie we have seen numerous customers who developed CTS due to repetitive strain injury (RSI) - especially computer work,  wrist injuries and breaks that never healed properly (or did!) and problems associated with arthritis and tendonitis. Other contributing factors can be due to diabetes, obesity and frozen shoulder to name but a few. Treatment with the Pain Genie is usually highly effective.

What is the Carpal Tunnel?

There are eight small bones called carpal bones in the wrist. A ligament (retinaculum) lies across the front of the wrist creating a space between it and the carpal bones called the carpal tunnel. The tendons attaching the forearm muscles to the fingers pass through the carpal tunnel. A main nerve to the hand (median nerve) also passes through this tunnel before dividing into smaller branches in the palm.

The median nerve gives feeling to the thumb, index and middle fingers, and half of the ring finger. It also controls the movement of the small muscles at the base of the thumb.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel receiving sensations from the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the hand. Conditions that causes any change in position or swelling of the tissue within the carpal tunnel can pressurize and irritate the median nerve.

What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?

• Pins and needles. This is tingling or burning in part, or all, of the shaded area shown above. This is typically the first symptom to develop. The index and middle fingers are usually first to be affected.
• Pain in the same fingers may then develop. The pain may travel up the forearm.
• Numbness of the same finger(s), or in part of the palm, may develop if the condition becomes worse.
• Dryness of the skin may develop in the same fingers.
• Weakness of some muscles in the fingers and/or thumb occurs in severe cases. This may cause poor grip and eventually lead to muscle wasting at the base of the thumb.

Symptoms obviously vary from person to person, usually starting with mildly uncomfortable sensations and progressively becoming worse without treatment , one or both hands may be affected. Symptoms tend to come and go at first, often after you use the hand and are generally worse at night and may wake you up. 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Alison Smithson

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Claire

I suffered from very painful RSI for years as a result of computer work. I had some Pain Genie Scenar treatments and now am pain free. Nothing else had the same Read More ›

Derek

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