Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve where it passes through the wrist. It causes numbness and tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often worse at night, and a weaker grip. We treat carpal tunnel and test the nerve at our Edgemere and Physicians clinics in El Paso, Texas.
What carpal tunnel feels like and why
The median nerve serves the thumb side of your hand, so that is where the symptoms are.
Numb fingers and tingling hands
Numb fingers, mostly the thumb, index and middle finger, and tingling hands that come and go.
Hand numbness at night
Hand numbness at night is common because wrists curl in sleep and the nerve gets squeezed. Many people wake up and shake the hand out.
Weak grip and dropping things
As the nerve is squeezed, the grip weakens and dropping things becomes more frequent.
Common causes
Repetitive hand work, wrist pain from typing, pregnancy, diabetes and arthritis can all raise the risk.
Testing the nerve before you guess
When symptoms are persistent or the cause is unclear, EMG and nerve conduction studies show how well the median nerve conducts signals through the wrist and how severe any compression is. Anthony Durant, PT, DPT, ECS, Cert. MDT, FMSK®, R-EDX® is certified in electrodiagnostic testing and performs these tests at our clinics.
The results help decide whether physical therapy, orthopedic care or another step is the right one.
What physical therapy can do
Before considering surgery
For many mild to moderate cases, we work on carpal tunnel without surgery first: nerve and tendon gliding exercises, gentle wrist mobility and grip strengthening, guided by how your symptoms respond. If symptoms get worse or weakness grows, we will tell you to see a surgeon.
Work and home changes
We look at how your workstation, tools and phone use position your wrist, and give you changes to try. Work Injuries & Workers' Comp has more on work-related strain.
Carpal tunnel release recovery
After surgery, we help you regain motion and rebuild grip. Carpal tunnel release recovery follows your surgeon's instructions. See Post-Surgical Rehab.
When the tingling starts somewhere else
A pinched nerve in the neck can also cause tingling in the hand, and we check the neck as part of the exam. Learn more on Neck Pain. Tingling in both hands and feet from diabetes is a different problem; see Peripheral Neuropathy. Pregnancy can bring on carpal tunnel symptoms too, and prenatal and postpartum care explains how we help during and after pregnancy. Other wrist problems are on Hand & Wrist Pain.
See a doctor soon if
- Numbness is constant and not just at night
- You notice a weak thumb or muscle wasting at the base of the thumb
- Hand symptoms come with neck pain, weakness in the arm or trouble walking
Texas allows direct access to physical therapy, so in many cases you do not need a referral to start. Call us and we can help verify your insurance requirements before your first visit. Most insurance coverage is accepted.
Carpal tunnel care in El Paso, Texas
Call or request an appointment at our Edgemere or Physicians clinic, and tell us when your hands go numb.
We see patients at our Edgemere and Physicians clinics in El Paso, Texas.