Treatment

When treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, rest the area as much as possible, apply ice for 10-20 minutes at a time for at least 3 times a day. Do this to the injured area for the first day to 3 days. If you have a cold / hot pack for the wrist, you will quickly find that frequent hot/cold treatments for the wrist are much less troublesome, and you can do this while getting on with your day. Note that the importance of the hot / cold treatment is very high, though when surveyed, most CTS sufferers never take advantage of this easy treatment step. Moist heat may be used after acute swelling of the wrist has improved and rest prevents further progression of the injury. Ice will reduce initial inflammation and swelling and the moist heat circulates blood through the area to speed the healing process. This can be further helped by the use of ultrasound applications over the affected area, as it reduces swelling quickly and increases blood flow to the area.

The long term use of therapeutic ultrasound is common with this injury, as the application of ultrasound will:

• Counteract atrophy in muscles and tendons.
• Increase the elasticity of all tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel.
• Soften inelastic scar tissue from injured tendons / muscle fiber to the point where it is eventually re-absorbed by the body.
• Decrease inflammation of tendons, and the flexor retinaculum (a fibrous sheath passing through the carpal tunnel). All tendons in the carpal tunnel are sheathed, and once tendons become inflamed, the sheath swells and can also become inflamed, and at the worst, infected. If you suspect you have any type of infection in the area, please consult a physician immediately as this can be very damaging if left untreated. (Never use ultrasound over anything suspected of being infected.)

A Final Word About Therapeutic Ultrasound

It is important to know that therapeutic ultrasound will alleviate CTS symptoms, but to truly treat CTS properly and prevent reoccurrence, an extended treatment term is required - 2 months is not unusual. Treatment length will vary depending on the severity, and there are some cases of CTS that are just too chronic, in which case there are very few treatment options other than invasive surgery. If this is the case for your CTS condition, please make sure you are fully informed about the risks and rewards of CTS corrective surgery.

Never use Ultrasound over an area injected with a steroid (ie. cortisone) for at least 30 days.

Never use Ultrasound after surgery until your physician recommends and approves of it.