;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=8feff9640b733b269bf28333c7d4ade3b97d8eecf283358fe241c672fb5cb432 "Carpal tunnel syndrome: test shows if you are affected")
If we lie on our hand and pinch a nerve, it can feel numb. Fibers in the skin send warning signals to our brain, which we perceive as the typical tingling sensation. That limbs colloquially “fall asleep” is quite normal.
However, around ten percent of all adults have numb, tingling hands and fingers particularly frequently. Your carpal tunnel in your wrist is too narrow from birth and constricts the metacarpal nerve – you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Those affected usually get a numb feeling when making phone calls, driving a car, cycling, doing manual work, falling asleep in the evening or waking up in the morning. In the worst case, the fingers remain numb for a long time, swell and hurt.
Identify carpal tunnel syndrome
Anti-inflammatory drugs, a splint on the wrist or laser therapy have not shown any long-term success in studies. If you have persistent symptoms, you should consider surgery. Get advice in good time and don’t wait too long. This increases the chance that the pinched nerve will regenerate optimally after the operation.
With the so-called Phalen test, doctors can identify the disease in its early stages. Patients press the backs of their hands together with the fingertips pointing down. If you suffer from KT syndrome, you quickly get a numb feeling due to the pressure and the bent hands. Alternatively, neurologists can measure the electrical conductivity of the nerves with a neurograph before the procedure to clarify whether it is actually carpal tunnel syndrome.
Watch Sabrina Nickel’s how-to video here
Treat carpal tunnel syndrome
In most cases, a local anesthetic is sufficient for an operation. The surgeon cuts a ligament called the flexor retinaculum at the base of the wrist. With the conventional open method, he makes an incision on the wrist that is no more than three centimeters long. If he treats with an endoscopy, in which he inserts a small camera, one or two much smaller incisions are sufficient.
After the treatment, patients should keep their hand flexible and clench their fingers into a fist again and again. This is how you prevent stiff joints. After three weeks, the joint is usually fully resilient again.