Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Question 1

What is the carpal tunnel?

Answer 1

Narrow, rigid passageway of ligament and bones at base of hand. It includes the median nerve and tendons that bend the fingers.

Question 2

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Answer 2

• When median nerve which runs from forearm into palm of hand, become pressed or squeezed at the wrist.
• Result may be numbness, weakness or pain in hand and wrist.

Question 3

What are symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?

Answer 3

• Difficulty making a fist.
• Difficulty gripping objects with hand(s).
• Pain and/or numbness in the hand(s).
• Pins and needles feeling in the fingers.
• Swollen fingers.
• Burning or tingling in the fingers- especially thumb, index and middle fingers.
• Pain and/or numbness worse at night, interrupting sleep.

Question 4

What is the impact of carpal tunnel syndrome on occupational performance?

Answer 4

• Experience pain
• Disturbed sleep patterns
• Reduce finger dexterity
• Loss of functional grips
• Repetitive manual tasks in cold working environments
• Poor social support
• Forced flexion and extension
• Exposure to vibration and increase in manual force
• Activities involving upper limb

Question 5

What is the occupational therapy role and equipment when treating carpal tunnel syndrome?

Answer 5

• Upper limb knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics, performance patterns and occupation.
• Provide guidance concerning daily activities, adapting way of doing these, improve quality of life and preventing worsening of symptoms with positive effect on results with long-term conservative treatments.
• Hand therapy is a specialised areas of OT which utilises different therapeutic interventions to restore functional use of upper extremities.