What Causes Nerve Pain After Carpal Tunnel Surgery?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a medical condition that causes pain, tingling and numbness in a wrist, hand and arm. Nerve pain may be relieved with carpal tunnel release surgery that releases the carpal ligament from the wrist’s median nerve.

Procedure Failure

• According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a carpal tunnel release procedure may fail to eliminate pain and other symptoms due to extensive scarring or an incomplete release of the carpal ligament during surgery. A doctor may repeat the surgery when a patient continues to have nerve pain after the initial surgery.

Pain Before Surgery

• Patients with very severe pain prior to surgery may continue to have nerve pain after carpal tunnel surgery.

Vibrating Tools

• Individuals who use vibrating tools to perform heavy manual labor after carpal tunnel surgery often experience continued nerve pain.

Mental Health

• People with poor mental health and individuals who abuse alcohol have a greater chance of experiencing pain and other symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome after they have undergone carpal tunnel release surgery.

Other Conditions

• Patients with high blood pressure or diabetes and people who receive hemodialysis treatment may notice a return of carpal tunnel syndrome pain after an initial surgery.