Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common peripheral nerve compression disorder and the most common surgical treatment performed by hand surgeons. There are many non-surgical treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome, including brace immobilization and corticosteroid injections. If the conservative treatment plan does not relieve the patient's symptoms, surgical treatment should be considered.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common peripheral nerve compression disorder and the most common surgical treatment performed by hand surgeons. The pathological basis of carpal tunnel syndrome is that the median nerve is compressed in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.

The incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome is higher in women than in men, but the cause is not clear. Common symptoms include paresthesia and/or numbness in the area innervated by the median nerve (thumb, index finger, middle finger, and radial half of the ring finger). Numbness of the fingers at night is often the first symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome, and many patients experience numbness of the fingers at night. In many patients, the discomfort of finger numbness can be relieved to a certain extent by changing the posture of the upper limbs or shaking hands.

The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is mainly based on clinical symptoms and characteristic physical examination results. The diagnosis requires an electrodiagnostic examination. The most important basis for diagnosis is that the patient has typical clinical symptoms, that is, numbness and discomfort in the median nerve distribution area, which worsens at night. In addition to subjective symptoms, objective examinations are also very important. It is clear that decreased or lost finger sensation and large thenar muscle atrophy are manifestations of a serious condition, and therapeutic intervention should be carried out before these manifestations.

Acupuncture treatment combined with herbal supplementation can reduce inflammation and help with the regeneration of nerves and other tissues. According to TCM theory, carpal tunnel syndrome is usually attributed to “wind” or cold invading the muscles and ligaments, along with Qi and/or blood stasis causing blockages

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be used for the internal treatment of this symptom, External treatments include acupuncture and massage.

Reference:

Gu Yudong. Problems in the diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome. "WanFang", 2010

Gu Yudong, Chen Desong, Shi Qilin, etc. Analysis of 128 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. "Chinese Journal of Hand Surgery", 2006

Shi Qilin, Xue Feng, Wang Jinwu. Comparison of the curative effect of endoscopic and conventional surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. "Chinese Journal of Hand Surgery", 2000

Zhang Gaomeng, Ma Jianjun, Xu Jianguang. A report of 14 cases of small incision treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. "CNKI", 2000

Gu Yudong. Pay attention to the diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. "Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics", 2005

腕管综合症 腕管綜合症

腕管综合症是最常见的周围神经卡压性疾患，也是手外科医生最常进行手术治疗的疾患。腕管综合症非手术治疗方法很多，包括支具制动和皮质类固醇注射等。如果保守治疗方案不能缓解患者的症状，则要考虑手术治疗。