How can I tell if it's carpal tunnel syndrome?
B. Forrest Burke, MD
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"I was telling a friend about my hands going to sleep at night. She said I may have carpal tunnel syndrome and that I should see you."
My patient was a 50-year-old woman who was planning for her daughter's wedding. She was preparing the table centerpieces along with the flowers.
Early detection: Key to recovery
without surgery
Early detection of carpal tunnel syndrome
is the key to resolving symptoms without
surgery. Numbness in the first three
fingers is usually the first symptom. Since
significant pain generally occurs later,
many patients wait longer than they
should before they are evaluated. The
longer patients wait, the more likely they
will need surgery to resolve the condition.
In severe cases, even surgery may not
result in a complete recovery.
EMG: Key to detection
Electromyogram (EMG) nerve testing is the
test of choice for detection. EMG nerve testing
not only can determine if the patient has carpal
tunnel syndrome, it also can determine the
severity of the condition.
EMG grading of carpal tunnel syndrome:
Key to treatment
If the condition is rated as mild by EMG,
nonoperative treatments usually succeed in
resolving the symptoms. If the condition is
severe, surgical decompression usually is required
to resolve the symptoms. If the condition is
moderate, the outcome primarily depends on how
long the symptoms have been present.
Back to the mother of the bride
EMG nerve testing confirmed that this patient
had mild carpal tunnel syndrome. The sensory
part of the median nerve showed slowing, but
the motor part and muscles were normal. I
prescribed a wrist brace for her, and she went
for therapy. She had a complete recovery. In her
case, the repetitive gripping and grasping with her
hands in preparing for her daughter's wedding
was the cause.
|  B. Forrest Burke, MD |
- Affects the first three fingers: thumb, index and middle
- Symptoms worsen at night because of nerve cooling and hand positioning
- More common in women than men, and with increasing age
- Associated with diabetes, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy and menopause
- Associated with repetitive gripping, grasping and vibration
- Wrist braces and therapy can help
- Electromyogram (EMG) nerve testing can diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome
B. Forrest Burke, MD, offers
EMG nerve testing in his
Silver State Spinecare
office at 1055 Roberta
Lane at Pyramid Way,
Suite 103, Sparks.
Call
 |
Northern Nevada Medical Center 2375 E. Prater Way, Sparks, NV 89434 775-331-7000 |
