Median Nerve Compression (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)

 

Mechanism/Injury:              

Many causes inc. stretching nerve when moving wrist

Swelling of nerve and tissues around median nerve at wrist

Compression on wrist

Wrist trauma

 

Symptoms:                           

Aching pain on inside of elbow/forearm

Pins and needles/numbness of little and ring fingers

Above often worse on bending elbow- reading or holding phone to ear

May wake/ interfere with sleep

Shooting pains elbow to hand- ‘funny bone’

Dropping objects/ clumsiness

Weakness of hand. Clawing of fingers- late signs

 

Investigations:                      

X-Ray- elbow

Nerve conduction studies

 

Treatment options:             

Pain killers

Physiotherapy

Splints

Surgery-  see median/carpal tunnel nerve release