Treatments

Carpal Tunnel Treatments

From evaluation to rehabilitation, Northwestern Medicine can help relieve pain and regain function for those with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Depending on your condition, your care team may include:

  • Hand Surgeons
  • Neurosurgeons
  • Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • Plastic Surgeons
  • Rehabilitation Specialists

Nonsurgical Treatments

Your care team will typically recommend nonsurgical therapies before considering surgical treatment for your carpal tunnel. These may include:

  • Wearing a brace or splint
  • Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling
  • Activity changes to put less stress on your carpal tunnel
  • Nerve gliding exercises to stretch or release the pinched nerves
  • Steroid injections to reduce swelling

Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery

You may need surgery if your carpal tunnel syndrome is severe. Depending on your condition, your surgery may be performed by a neurosurgeon specializing in peripheral nerve conditions, an orthopaedic surgeon or a hand surgeon. Surgery cuts the ligament that is the roof of the carpal tunnel. This makes the tunnel bigger and relieves pressure on your median nerve.

This type of surgery is called carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery. Relieving the pressure can address symptoms and restore muscle strength.

However, traditional CTR surgery may:

  • Leave large and sometimes painful scars
  • Leave ongoing pain
  • Involve a longer recovery

Because the recovery period is long, people who use wheelchairs or walkers often do not qualify for traditional CTR surgery.

CTR Surgery With Ultrasound Guidance

We also offer CTR with real-time ultrasound guidance. This approach is minimally invasive and available for most people with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Your surgery team will use the ultrasound images to guide what they do, helping them to see your wrist and hand. This minimally invasive approach allows for faster recovery, making it a more viable option for people who use wheelchairs or walkers and people who want surgery done on both wrists at the same time.

With this approach, most people:

  • Only need local anesthesia
  • Can go home the same day as their surgery
  • Can return to their everyday activities in three to six days
  • Typically do not need physical therapy after the surgery
  • Can often have surgery done on both wrists at the same time