How Does a Carpal Tunnel Release Work?

To understand how carpal tunnel release works, it is important to understand the problem of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on a very important nerve at the level of the wrist. This nerve is called the median nerve.

At the level of the wrist, the median nerve passes through a “tunnel,” along with several important tendons that move the fingers and the thumb. This tunnel cannot change in size, it cannot grow wider or more narrow as needed. Because of this, if there is swelling of the tendons and other structures in the tunnel, the nerve gets “crowded out.” The nerve is pinched and constricted in the carpal tunnel.

The pinching of this nerve is bad because a nerve is like an electrical cable: It works by sending signals back-and-forth between the hand and the brain. The signals are mostly “feeling” signals but also can be signals to the muscles in the thumb. If the electrical cable is crushed and loses its ability to send signals, the human brain notices this and experiences numbness, tingling, discomfort, pain which are together called carpal tunnel syndrome.

So how does a carpal tunnel release work?

A carpal tunnel release is a very simple idea. The “roof” of the tunnel is made of a ligament. A carpal tunnel release divides this ligament which allows the tunnel to slightly widen. This allows the nerve to have more “breathing room” so that it can work normally again. As a result, a patient who has a carpal tunnel release can sleep at night, hold a steering wheel without shaking their hands out, etc.

Ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release, as performed by Dr. Johnny T. Nelson, MD, North Carolina carpal tunnel specialist, widens the carpal tunnel in a very special way. It requires only a tiny “poke” incision about the size of a pea, and the ligament is released from the “inside out.”Therefore, there is no incision in the palm, no need for sutures, no need for splinting, no need for an IV or expensive anesthesia.

Do you have carpal tunnel symptoms? Have you tried splinting, injections, anti-inflammatories and you still have symptoms? Call 919-872-5296 today to schedule a visit with Dr. Johnny T. Nelson, MD, North Carolina’s carpal tunnel specialist!