Curing Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome causes weakness, tingling, pain, and numbness in your hand and arm. Nearly anyone can get carpal tunnel syndrome, but you are particularly at risk if you perform physical labor or repeat the same motion over and over at work or for a hobby. 

Treating carpal tunnel syndrome can be quick and fairly easy. Over the years, new techniques and treatments have evolved that are less invasive and can be performed on an outpatient basis. 

At Steel City Spine Orthopedic Center, board-certified spine and orthopedic surgeon Jocelyn R. Idema, DO, offers endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery to eliminate your symptoms. 

How do I know I have carpal tunnel syndrome?

CTS occurs when the median nerve, which runs down your arm and into your hand, is pinched at the wrist. This nerve, as well as tendons that bend your fingers, travel through the carpal tunnel, which is formed by ligaments and bones. 

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are hard to miss. They include:

• Weakness in the hand muscles
• Numbness and tingling through your thumb and first three fingers
• Wrist pain that disrupts your sleep
• Hands that fall asleep suddenly

Carpal tunnel syndrome has long been known as a repetitive motion injury, but this isn’t always the case. Certain conditions lend themselves to CTS. Diabetes, for example, or other nerve-damaging diseases, raise your risk.  

Other risk factors include:

• Inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Menopause
• Thyroid disorders
• Renal failure
• Genetic factors, like having small carpal tunnels

People who work in sewing, manufacturing, meatpacking, and cleaning are at increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Women are at greater risk than men, as are people who’ve had a broken or fractured wrist. 

What is endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery?

A relatively new development in the treatment of CTS, endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery is a less invasive procedure than open carpal tunnel surgery and helps you recover more quickly. 

After numbing your hand and wrist, Dr. Idema makes a small incision on your wrist. Into the incision, she inserts a tiny camera. This is an endoscope, and it helps her see the inside of your wrist, eliminating the need for a larger incision. 

She starts by opening the ligament that covers the carpal tunnel. This releases the worst of the pressure. She may remove more tissue, as needed and then closes the site and cleans the area.  

With this new technology, we’re able to correct your carpal tunnel syndrome within an hour. You  need several weeks from work to recover from your surgery, but once you heal, the tingling, pain, and numbness should be gone. 

If you’re experiencing carpal tunnel symptoms, call us for a consultation at 412-206-6770, or request an appointment with us through our online tool.