CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME NEGLIGENT TREATMENT

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is characterised by localised pain in the hand, wrist and forearm particularly when the body is at rest. The pain is always accompanied by the sensation of burning, numbing or tingling, especially of the thumb, the forefinger and the middle finger and in addition there may be some swelling. If these symptoms occur to you frequently and not just at night, you should see a doctor immediately. You could be suffering from an ailment called carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition where the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist becomes compressed and pinched due to stress and repetitive activities involving the hands. Such repetitive activities include long hours of typing at the computer keyboard, playing video games for hours at end, gardening, operating vibrating mechanical objects, crocheting and knitting, and others. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects women more than it does men.

In order to understand carpal tunnel syndrome, you must understand that the carpal tunnel, which is located in the wrist, is a very narrow passage. The median nerve is not the only one that passes through it; it shares the carpal tunnel with the nine flexor tendons of the hand. Also, in the carpal tunnel, the median nerve is surrounded by bone on three sides, and on the fourth side is a sheath-like material called the flexor retinaculum.

When the wrist is bent or held in a certain position for a prolonged period, or when the tendons that share the carpal tunnel with the median nerve are enlarged, or if the bones of the wrist are fractured or injured, undue pressure is put on the median nerve. This pressure on the median nerve then results in pain, occasional swelling, and a condition called paresthesia, which is the sensation of burning and tingling in the fingers, especially in the thumb, the forefinger and the middle finger. Carpal tunnel syndrome can also make it difficult for the patient to make a fist and to grip. It is also observed in some cases that the fleshy part of the palm right under the thumb becomes thinner.

There are some ailments of the wrist that display some characteristics of carpal tunnel syndrome and are thus mistaken for the said ailment. However, the one symptom that differentiates carpal tunnel syndrome from the other conditions that affect the wrist is paresthesia. If paresthesia is absent, the condition cannot be called carpal tunnel syndrome.

In mild cases, carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated through the use of wrist braces and through the application of ergonomics in the workplace. To relieve the patient of pain temporarily, some physicians recommend the injection of steroids. In some instances, the patient is made to undergo physical therapy. In really severe cases, the patient must undergo hand surgery to physically correct the condition causing carpal tunnel syndrome. Hand surgery that is needed to correct carpal tunnel syndrome is often safe and should not give rise to too many complications. However, surgeons sometimes make the mistake of not diagnosing correctly, and so hand surgery in these instances aggravates the condition rather than allay it. Errors such as this may make the surgeon liable to pay compensation for medical negligence.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This website is for information only and does not contain medical or legal advice which should only be obtained from a qualified professional person. This website does not recommend any individual medical or legal professionals and does not refer matters on to any medical or legal professionals. This website is not intended to endorse any person, association or firm.