Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery May Not Be For You

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by Tom Nicholson

You’ve heard the condition of carpal tunnel syndrome before, but you never thought you’d have it. Years of bad posture, stress, and too much time at the computer keyboard have left you with pain in your wrists, weakness and numbness. You have read up on the subject and are torn about whether or not you should have surgery for your condition. Perhaps even your doctor has recommended it!

You should think very hard before having surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. The fact is that many people suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome but have found alternative methods of relieve rather than resort to surgery. Surgery can solve the problem quickly, but is it as long lasting as you need it to be? Is it even in your price range?

Take the time to truly learn about and understand carpal tunnel syndrome and what causes it to occur. Most cases are found in the wrists. It is generally caused by repetitive action, or the movement in the same way over and over again. It can happen to baseball players pitching too much or it can happen to anyone doing any job that involves this movement over and over again. This motion repeats so often that the transverse carpal ligament tightens up. The ligament is crucial because it holds in place all of the ligaments in the wrist.Over time, it grows worse. The ligament will tighten up, as described, and that places a good amount of pressure on the median nerve in this region. It inflames and becomes painful. This may be presented as a tingling or even a numbness.

As the transverse carpal ligament tightens, the other ligaments put pressure on the median nerve. When this nerve becomes agitated and sore, it can cause numbness, lack of strength and even great pain in the hand, wrist, fingers and even the arm. This can create problems for those who rely on their wrists and arms to do their jobs. Still thinking about surgery?

Surgery for carpal tunnel is simple but can have long-term repercussions for the person having the surgery. While it is not a long and complicated surgery, the surgeon does actually cut the transverse carpal ligament and that can cause loss of strength in your hands and arms down the road. However, for the short term, this relieves the pressure on the median nerve and gives instant relief from the symptoms of carpal tunnel.

Aside from problems later on down the road, having this surgery requires at least 6 weeks of therapy and healing for the transverse carpal ligament. It isn’t a fun recovery, and the outcome is completely unknown. For these reasons alone you might consider some alternative techniques to relieving your carpal tunnel pain.

Through stretching and exercise, you can essentially lessen or completely mitigate the effects of carpal tunnel. By stretching the transverse carpal ligament, you can ensure that the median nerve will have no lingering exposure to pressure. Good posture and taking a few breaks from the repetitive tasks can also be a big help. Besides that, surgery can cost upwards of $10,000, and who has that kind of money when you can do stretches for free?

Sometimes, these alternative options may not be enough to avoid surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. Get a second opinion first. Be sure you are doing everything you can to avoid the surgery even working with a physical therapist.

About the Author:

How much do you really know about carpal tunnel syndrome? Many people do not actually understand the nature of repetitive stress injuries. There are many easy types of treatment that can be explored. Be sure you understand all there is to know - click on this link to find out what you don’t know about carpal tunnel surgery.

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