Carpal tunnel syndrome and how a LimbO can help after carpal tunnel surgery

Carpel tunnel syndrome is a fairly common condition which is characterised by a tingling sensation, numbness and sometimes pain in the hand and fingers. If surgery is used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, a LimbO will come in handy!

The above symptoms tend to develop gradually and often begin by being worse during the night. The sensations are usually felt in the thumb, index finger and middle finger. You also may experience the dreaded pins and needles, weakness in your thumb and a dull ache in your hand or arm.

You might be wondering what causes carpal tunnel syndrome. Well, compression of the median nerve in the hand which, funnily enough, is responsible for sensation and movement of the hand, is to blame. If you’re confused as to why it’s called carpal tunnel syndrome – the carpal tunnel is a narrow passage within your wrist composed of small bones and a strong band of tissue which assists the tendons that bend the fingers.

Let’s see what the main risk factors are… A family history of CTS, injuries to the wrist, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and strenuous, repetitive movement of the hand are all known to increase a person’s chance of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Additionally, up to roughly 50% of pregnant women suffer from the condition.

Unless your case of CTS is very severe, surgery will not be immediately considered. Often, the patient is given a wrist splint which will hold the wrist in a neutral position as bending of the wrist may place excess pressure on the damaged nerve which would worsen symptoms. People usually notice an improvement after about four weeks of using the wrist splint. Another common treatment is corticosteroids. These steroids should help to decrease inflammation. Although corticosteroids do come in tablet form, it is more likely that you will have an injection of the steroid directly into your wrist. Whether you are given more than one injection will depend on your response to the treatment.

For serious cases of CTS which have not responded to the other treatments, carpal tunnel release surgery will be considered. The surgery includes making either a single cut or a few small cuts in the roof of the carpal tunnel in order to relieve pressure on the median nerve and it is performed under a local anaesthetic.

Following surgery, you will have a bandage on your hand. You’ll already be uncomfortable enough so we don’t think you should have the added struggle of avoiding getting your bandage wet in the bath or shower. Here at Thesis Technology, we offer the hand injury LimbO mitt, specially designed for a bandage or dressing on the hand or fingers. The LimbO waterproof protector will allow you to relax in the bath or shower as you should be able to without having to worry about your bandage getting wet. Even once you’ve had your bandage taken off, you may be worried about getting hot water or soap on the area of skin where the operation was carried out, and may want to continue using your LimbO for a bit longer.

There are also possible complications which may occur after carpal tunnel release surgery. Bleeding or infection may mean you have to wear a bandage or dressing for a longer period of time, in which case the LimbO will be your best friend.

If you’re interested in a LimbO because you or someone you know may have to have carpal tunnel release surgery, they are available to purchase on this website. If you’d rather order a LimbO on the phone, feel free to call us on 01243 573417 or if you would like more information, send us an email to info@limboproducts.co.uk and we’re happy to answer any questions!

Bibliography
Carpal tunnel syndrome, NHS: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Carpal-tunnel-syndrome/Pages/Whatisit.aspx

Carpal tunnel syndrome – Treatment, NHS: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Carpal-tunnel-syndrome/Pages/Treatment.aspx