First Aid
Carpal Tunnel
In this section you will find some information on how to practice first aid to relieve the pain of certain pathologies. These indications do not replace a professional treatment that only the doctor is able to perform.
When the patient is suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, paresthesias (tingling, pain, numbness) are usually felt in the first 3 fingers of the hand and in the middle of the 4th finger.
The disorder can be very annoying, mainly affects women and tends to awaken patients during sleep. It usually occurs after menopause due to the accumulation of fluids that can affect patients during this period of life.
Help can be given by the maneuvers that the patient can perform to decompress the nerve, as well as by avoiding procedures that worsen the situation. Movements in which the heel of the hand is compressed are to be avoided, as well as the use of vibrating tools, drills and the like.
Sometimes surgery is needed to decompress the median nerve which is squeezed between bone walls and the robust transverse ligament of the carpus. Cortisone infiltration can help for a few months, but it can be non-resolving. Physical therapies can also help but often the disease relapses. Prolotherapy can be attempted to improve the shape and stability of the wrist.
The carpal bones can be compressed (see figure) in order to give more space to the nerve as well as perform slow movements of flexion of the wrist.
