Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Numb, tingling hands that wake you at night — and a fix with one of the highest satisfaction rates in surgery.
Overview
Understanding carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve as it passes through a tight tunnel at the wrist. The signature is nocturnal: numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers that wakes you and makes you shake your hand out.
Timing matters more than most people realize. Compressed nerve recovers well when released early; long-standing severe compression can leave permanent numbness and thumb weakness that no operation fully reverses.
Symptoms
What it feels like
- Numbness and tingling in thumb, index, middle, and half the ring finger
- Night waking with the need to shake the hand out
- Symptoms with driving, phone use, and gripping
- Dropping objects; in later stages, visible thumb-muscle wasting
Common causes
Why it happens
- Anatomy — a naturally tight tunnel
- Repetitive gripping and sustained wrist positions
- Pregnancy, thyroid disease, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions
- Prior wrist fracture changing the tunnel's shape
Diagnosis
How it's diagnosed
The story plus provocative testing usually makes the diagnosis; nerve conduction studies grade severity and baseline the nerve when surgery is considered or the picture is mixed with neck-related symptoms — a distinction the exam is designed to draw.
Treatment
The full range of options
Non-surgical
Night splinting
A neutral wrist splint during sleep relieves the position that provokes night symptoms — genuinely effective for mild to moderate disease.
Corticosteroid injection
Reduces swelling around the nerve; relief also helps confirm the diagnosis.
Activity & ergonomic adjustments
Wrist-neutral tool and workstation changes reduce daily provocation.
Surgical
Carpal tunnel release
Dividing the ligament roof of the tunnel to decompress the nerve — a brief outpatient procedure, open or endoscopic, with among the highest patient-satisfaction rates in orthopedics.
Recovery
The road back
Night symptoms often improve within days of release. Grip strength rebuilds over six to twelve weeks, and constant numbness from long-standing compression recovers slowly and sometimes incompletely — the argument for not waiting years to act.
Dr. Johnson's approach
Dr. Johnson grades the nerve honestly and matches treatment to severity — splints and injections when the nerve is merely irritated, timely release when it's compressed — because the one mistake carpal tunnel doesn't forgive is waiting too long.
Straight answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The information on this site is for education only and is not a medical diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical advice. Every patient is different — please consult Dr. Johnson or a qualified provider about your specific condition.
Ready when you are
Take the first step past carpal tunnel syndrome
A focused evaluation, an honest conversation, and a plan built for your goals.