Millions of people worldwide suffer with the prevalent disorder known as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). It is typified by a pinched nerve in the wrist resulting in tingling, numbness, and pain in the hand and arm. The way one feels in daily life and at work might be greatly impacted by this illness. Thankfully, controlling and reducing CTS symptoms is mostly dependent on physiotherapy. Our discussion will be of the causes, signs, and available therapies for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The carpal tunnel is a small groove on the inside of your wrist, next to your palm. It guards the median nerve and the tendons that bend your fingers. When the median nerve is squished or compressed as it goes through this tube, it can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Causes
A number of things can lead to the formation of CTS, such as
Frequent Hand Movements
Typing, working on an assembly line, or playing an instrument are all examples of activities that can cause CTS because they require the wrist and hand to move in the same way over and over again.
The anatomy of the wrist
Some people have a minimal carpal tunnel, making them more likely to have nerves get pinched.
Problems with health
Some diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and an imbalance in the thyroid gland can make you more likely to get CTS.
During pregnancy
Changes in hormones can make the wrist grow, which can lead to CTS.
Injury
If you hurt your wrist, the median nerve can swell and become squished.
Signs and symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The signs of CTS usually show up slowly and can change in how severe they are. Some common signs are:
Feeling Numb or Tingly
One of the most common signs of CTS is feeling numb or tingly in the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers.
Pain
People often say they have pain in their wrists, hands, and sometimes up their arms.
Weakness
The affected hand may lose strength and grip, which makes it hard to do fine motor chores.
Night Symptoms
Symptoms often get worse at night, which makes it hard to sleep.
Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
To make a diagnosis, you need to look at your full medical history, do a physical check, and run certain diagnostic tests. Some important parts are asking the patient about their symptoms, finding out what they do for a living and how often they do it, and seeing if anyone in their family has had CTS or another musculoskeletal condition. As part of the physical exam, the hand, wrist, and arm are checked for signs of CTS, such as muscle loss, tenderness, limited range of motion, and strength tests. Some tests, like Tinel’s Sign, Phalen’s Manoeuvre, and Durkan’s Test, can make symptoms worse and help find out if someone has CTS. Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) and Electromyography (EMG) are two examples of electrodiopathic tests that help prove the diagnosis and figure out how bad CTS is. Imaging tests, like ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), can also help find problems with the structure or conditions that are going on underneath.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Physiotherapy: What They Do
Physiotherapy is a good way to treat CTS that doesn’t involve surgery. Its goals are to lessen pain, improve function, and stop the disease from getting worse. Some important things that physiotherapy can do to help with CTS are listed below:
Updates to education and ergonomics
It is very important to teach patients about their situation and the things that can make it worse. Physiotherapists help people with their ergonomics and hand positioning so that the median nerve doesn’t have to work as hard.
Some suggestions are changing how workstations are set up, using ergonomic computers and mice, and taking breaks often to avoid doing the same things over and over again.
Manual Therapy (MT)
Physiotherapists move the wrist joint and soft tissues around by using their hands. This can help ease the pain in the median nerve and make it easier to move your wrist.
Stretching your wrists and fingers, moving your joints around, and giving yourself a soft tissue rub can all help.
Therapy by exercise
To strengthen the muscles in the hands and wrists, make them more flexible, and improve overall function, certain exercises are recommended.
Nerve gliding movements
In which you move the median nerve through its range of motion, can help ease nerve pain and tension.
Bracelets
Putting on a wrist splint, especially at night, can help keep the wrist straight and lower the pressure on the median nerve.
Physiotherapists can help patients choose the right type and size of splints for their needs.
Modalities
To lessen pain and swelling, physiotherapists might use ultrasound therapy, heat or cold treatment, or electrical stimulation.
Why physiotherapy can help with carpal tunnel syndrome
Physical treatment has many benefits for people with CTS, such as:
Help with pain
Interventions used in physiotherapy can greatly lessen the pain and discomfort that come with CTS.
Improved Function
Hand and wrist function is improved by strengthening and stretching routines, which makes it easier for patients to do daily tasks.
Keeping away from having surgery
Physiotherapy can often keep people from needing surgery by successfully managing symptoms and getting to the root causes.
Better quality of life
Physiotherapy can improve the quality of life for people with CTS by easing their symptoms and making their hands work better.
