> Home > About Us > News/Events

For immediate release:  April 24, 2007 (Clyde, NC)

Just a Passing Cramp? or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

With carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), your hand and wrist tingle from pressure on the median nerve that runs through a narrow passage from your forearm into your hand. This passage tends to be smaller in women than it is in men. This may be one reason why three times as many women as men develop CTS.

In addition to numbness, CTS also may weaken your hand or send a sharp pain shooting up your arm. These symptoms often first appear at night, but eventually can occur during the day, too.

Pinching or gripping with a bent wrist boosts the risk for CTS. Working at a keyboard, meatpacking, poultry processing, and many repetitive use jobs have been associated with CTS. It is also seen with an increased incidence in pregnancy, after wrist injuries including fractures, and with rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and diabetes.

Seeking treatment for CTS can help prevent permanent nerve damage so if you suspect CTS, see your doctor. Often electromyography and nerve conduction studies are utilized to help confirm the diagnosis. Initial treatment typically involves resting the wrist in a splint. Whenever possible, bending the wrist and overuse is avoided. Other treatments may include anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or naproxen, or sometimes corticosteroid injections around the nerve.

If symptoms are persistent or recur, carpal tunnel release surgery may be indicated. During this common outpatient procedure, under local or regional anesthesia, a surgeon cuts the band of tissue which causes pressure on the nerve.

There are two surgical options for this condition. The first, open carpal tunnel release, is the traditional method which has been performed successfully since the 1940’s. A newer technique, endoscopic carpal tunnel release, allows surgery through a smaller incision and typically results in less postoperative pain and a quicker return to normal activity. Jeffrey R. Chain, M.D., who practices with Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists in Haywood County, has been performing the endoscopic technique for about thirteen years. He reports, “I am very impressed and gratified with the results patients achieve with this surgery. Many do not even require pain medication afterward. For these reasons over 95% of my carpal tunnel surgery is now performed endoscopically.”

Dr. Chain practices with Dr. Christofer Catterson who also performs the endoscopic carpal tunnel technique. Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists is a new partnership of these physicians and is located in Mountain Medical Center in Clyde. They can be reached at 828-452-4131.