If you are one of the many people who grind it out on the computer each day or work with your hands a lot, you surely have developed some stiffness and pain at various points in your career. It may be that the problem nagged for awhile and went away, or might have even spanned only a few hours. You may have brushed up against carpal tunnel syndrome.
As the number of personal computers owned has risen, so has the number of cases of carpel tunnel syndrome. If you are among the victims and have consulted with a physician about your condition, you may be facing the prospect of surgery. Understanding what is involved in carpal tunnel surgery may help you make this difficult decision.
The physiology of carpel tunnel syndrome-in the wrist-is a key to understanding how and why carpel tunnel syndrome occurs. The problem occurs when the median nerve in the wrist becomes compressed. This compression occurs due to the tightening of the transverse carpel ligament that encircles the other ligaments that run in parallel down your arm. Surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome seeks to lessen the pressure being put on the median nerve by the transverse carpel ligament.
When surgery is performed, the surgeon will make a small incision in the palm of the patient's hand. It is done under twilight anesthesia and is a simple procedure. The surgeon cuts the transverse carpel ligament and this immediately eases the pressure on the median nerve. The ligament does take time to heal and it normally takes from two to six weeks for a full recovery. This surgery creates more room for the other ligaments and is intended to relieve the pain and pressure the patient has been experiencing.
Surgery of any kind carries a risk and carpel tunnel surgery is no exception. Although usually effective, at least for a time, the patient faces the risk of losing some strength and feeling in their hand and/or arm. This surgery involves a number of tiny nerves and muscles that may experience trauma during the proceeding. In addition the syndrome may reoccur at a later time. The cost is also approximately $10,000 so it is not always an easy decision to make. Understanding what is involved and what your options are will make the decision a bit easier.
And keep in mind there are many alternative methods to preventing carpel tunnel syndrome naturally before resorting to surgery. If you can have a physical therapist recommended to you by your doctor, they can show you some exercise techniques that will help loosen that transverse carpal ligament and return the strength and flexibility to your arms. Regardless of whether you have surgery or not, you will need to spend some time learning these types of stretches and techniques, so you might want to give them a try before resorting to surgery.
Relieving carpal tunnel syndrome can be a tough choice, especially when surgery may seem to fix the issue very quickly. However, you cannot be guaranteed that the results will last and that something else won't go wrong in your hands and wrist. But with a little forethought, you can might the decision that is right for you.
As the number of personal computers owned has risen, so has the number of cases of carpel tunnel syndrome. If you are among the victims and have consulted with a physician about your condition, you may be facing the prospect of surgery. Understanding what is involved in carpal tunnel surgery may help you make this difficult decision.
The physiology of carpel tunnel syndrome-in the wrist-is a key to understanding how and why carpel tunnel syndrome occurs. The problem occurs when the median nerve in the wrist becomes compressed. This compression occurs due to the tightening of the transverse carpel ligament that encircles the other ligaments that run in parallel down your arm. Surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome seeks to lessen the pressure being put on the median nerve by the transverse carpel ligament.
When surgery is performed, the surgeon will make a small incision in the palm of the patient's hand. It is done under twilight anesthesia and is a simple procedure. The surgeon cuts the transverse carpel ligament and this immediately eases the pressure on the median nerve. The ligament does take time to heal and it normally takes from two to six weeks for a full recovery. This surgery creates more room for the other ligaments and is intended to relieve the pain and pressure the patient has been experiencing.
Surgery of any kind carries a risk and carpel tunnel surgery is no exception. Although usually effective, at least for a time, the patient faces the risk of losing some strength and feeling in their hand and/or arm. This surgery involves a number of tiny nerves and muscles that may experience trauma during the proceeding. In addition the syndrome may reoccur at a later time. The cost is also approximately $10,000 so it is not always an easy decision to make. Understanding what is involved and what your options are will make the decision a bit easier.
And keep in mind there are many alternative methods to preventing carpel tunnel syndrome naturally before resorting to surgery. If you can have a physical therapist recommended to you by your doctor, they can show you some exercise techniques that will help loosen that transverse carpal ligament and return the strength and flexibility to your arms. Regardless of whether you have surgery or not, you will need to spend some time learning these types of stretches and techniques, so you might want to give them a try before resorting to surgery.
Relieving carpal tunnel syndrome can be a tough choice, especially when surgery may seem to fix the issue very quickly. However, you cannot be guaranteed that the results will last and that something else won't go wrong in your hands and wrist. But with a little forethought, you can might the decision that is right for you.
About the Author:
The pain of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can make people desperate enough to take drastic measures in trying to find relief. Find out what doctors have known for years about carpal tunnel surgery that they might not tell you. There are alternatives!
