How to Know If You Need Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure placed on a major nerve that controls your hand and fingers. When you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you may experience numbness and pain that radiates from your wrist. The condition can be caused by repetitive use of the tendons, fluid retention or genetics. You may require surgery to cure the ailment.

Instructions

• 1

  See your doctor for an evaluation. He will run a series of tests to determine the extent of the damage in your hand caused by the carpal tunnel syndrome.

• 2

  Your doctor will test the sensations that you have in your hand. He may bend your wrist or tap at the site of the nerve and ask you to describe your sensations. If you only feel mild discomfort, you may be able to treat carpal tunnel syndrome without surgery.

• 3

  Go through a nerve study. During a study of the nerves, impulses will be sent through the nerve to determine if the response time is slowed in the carpal tunnel. If the nerve study shows a major slowing, carpal tunnel surgery may be considered.

• 4

  Find out if any muscle damage has occurred. If muscle damage is present, carpal tunnel surgery is likely. A doctor will order a test called an electromyogram to do this. During this test, a needle is placed in your hand muscles and electric currents record their activity.

• 5

  Consider the length of time that you have suffered from pain or numbness in your hands. Typically, doctors will recommend carpal tunnel surgery if you have been symptomatic for longer than six months, especially if nonsurgical methods such as splinting and anti-inflammatory drugs have proved to be ineffective.