HEALTH
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Yattar Yattar speaks with Mr Mark Robert Webb about carpal tunnel syndrome and its cure…
C
arpal tunnel syndrome (sometimes referred to as CTS) is a common condition caused by compression of the median nerve at the level of the wrist. ‘Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common cause of hand pain in adults and certainly one of the more common complaints an orthopaedic surgeon can fix. The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are hand pain, pins and needles, tingling and numbness,’ explained Mr Mark Robert Webb, who is a Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon at Nuffield Health The Grosvenor Hospital in Chester. ‘The initial symptoms are usually experienced at night causing the sufferer to wake up. To stop the symptoms patients resort to flicking their hands or hanging their hand over the bed. Pain is felt in the thumb, index and middle finger due to pressure on the median nerve which controls sensation and movement in the hands outside the carpal tunnel. If left untreated, symptoms often worsen affecting a sufferer’s daily life also. Tasks such as holding a phone, hair-dryer or book, and riding a bike become increasingly painful.’ ‘Carpal tunnel syndrome is seen largely in peri-menopause women – the stage of a woman’s reproductive life when the ovaries
gradually begin to produce less oestrogen. It usually starts in a woman’s 50s, but can start in her 30s or even earlier. Due to hormones pregnant women are also likely to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, which is usually relieved after giving birth. Although women are more commonly affected, men can also suffer.’ Mr Webb discussed how CTS can also be occupationally induced. ‘Obesity is also a known risk factor for the development of CTS.’ Diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome is often fairly straight forward. ‘Typically the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is a review of medical history and an examination of the limb and neck,’ Mr Webb explains. ‘There are various treatment options such as wrist splints or steroid injections which can be recommended for mild symptoms but neither these treatments cure the problem and recurrence of the CTS is high. However the most effective treatment is surgery, relieving the pressure on the median nerve. Surgery involves a 2cm longitudinal incision where the hand joins the wrist under local anaesthetic. This procedure can be performed at the Ambulatory Suite at Nuffield Health in Chester in 30 minutes. Surgery has over a 95% success rate of curing symptoms with a very low y complication rate.’
Mr Mark Robert Webb is a full-time Consultant at the Nuffield Health The Grosvenor Hospital and the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust. He is a specialist in shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist surgery, and his specialist area of interest is shoulder surgery, in particular the management of sport and industrial injuries, fractures and degenerative conditions. The Nuffield Health The Grosvenor Hospital in Chester, is one of the area’s leading private hospitals. The hospital is part of Nuffield Health, a not for profit organisation that is dedicated to delivering the best healthcare. www.nuffieldhealth.com
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment Are you suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome? Contact Nuffield Health The Grosvenor Hospital Chester to find out more about our quick and effective treatment which is performed in our Outpatient Unit. Treatment is available for both insured and self-paying patients. Where: Nuffield Health The Grosvenor Hospital Chester, Wrexham Road, Chester, CH4 7QP.
It’s time to talk to Nuffield
01244 458 661 nuffieldhealth.com