Created by renowned Harvard health care professionals. 
Frequently Asked Questions
We have listed common questions on Carpal Tunnel below. You can also use the search mechanism on the top menu of every webpage on this site to search over 400 medical articles written by our Medical Team. Our Medical Team writes from a perspective dedicated to helping people heal naturally from carpal tunnel syndrome and avoid the risk, downtime, scar tissue and other complications associated with invasive carpal tunnel surgery. We have helped over 500,000 patients, we are confident we can help you too! Most other websites are written by surgeons and their staffs. If you want to why and how to avoid a risky surgery, you have come to the Right Website.
Our Medical Team At First Hand Medical Is Here to Help
Can’t find the answer to your questions?
We’re Available: Monday – Friday 9 am – 9 pm EST
FAQ TOPICS
Common Carpal Tunnel Questions
People often wonder, “Why do I have Carpal Tunnel?” That can be a complicated answer that we can help you understand. However, what is essential is that you understand the Root Cause of every case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before you select a treatment approach that you are going to commit time, money, expose yourself to risks and put your peace of mind on the line to follow through on.
The Root Cause of CTS is Excess Inflammation that gets Trapped.
For best results you will want to match your treatment to the root cause and avoid treating symptoms or submitting to invasive procedures that do not address the root cause, like surgery.
There are over 100 different factors that can contribute to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Usually people suffering from Carpal Tunnel Symptoms experience multiple contributing factors at once that combine to cause the intense hand pain, hand numbness and hand dysfunction. So, Why do I have Carpal Tunnel is not always a simple answer. However, excess inflammation that gets trapped in the Carpal Tunnel Space is always the Root Cause. There are many physiological conditions that can contribute to to excess inflammation, in addition to the physical overuse or physical trauma. It can be complicated to identify exactly what inflammation factors may be contributing to your Carpal Tunnel Symptoms.
These contributing factors can be subtle in the beginning and range from slight inflammation of soft tissue around the Carpal Tunnel due to repetitive stress injuries associated with hand and wrist use patterns, edema from forceful trauma of any type, a person’s specific anatomical configuration, to physiological factors. You can learn more detail on this subject by clicking on read more below.
However, remember, it is absolutely essential to understand the root cause and select your treatment approach to address Trapped Inflammation.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome affects over 60 million people worldwide. Many people refer to the syndrome as just “Carpal Tunnel”. The truth is, this term, refers to an important part of the human anatomy. Most people don’t know where the Carpal Tunnel is located. They often think it is in the Wrist. However, it is located at the base of the hand between the two major muscles of the hand. You will find a picture to show you where it is located here: Where is the Carpal Tunnel
The Root Cause of the syndrome is excess inflammation which gets trapped in the Tunnel putting pressure on the Median Nerve. The subtle pressure on the Median Nerve, which controls major parts of the hand, creates the symptoms of numbness, pain, waking up at night, loss of fine motor skills, etc.
People often have a unique set of symptoms. So, it can be hard to diagnosis without solid guidance. We can help you self-diagnose with 95% plus confidence. How to Self Diagnose CTS Guided by Doctors.
It is important to know with Carpal Tunnel, there is nothing structurally out of place that requires a surgical procedure to fix. It is just trapped inflammation that gets stuck and your body’s normal healing is inhibited by the restrictions caused by the pressure. The key is to jump-start your body’s normal healing process with consistent natural targeted and passive stretching. Our medical team at First Hand Medical can help you learn everything you need to know about how to jump-start your natural healing to put CTS in remission. Sometimes people are told they should worry about “Permanent Nerve Damage”. Worry and anxiety make nerve conditions worse. Don’t worry about “Permanent Nerve Damage”. Just be proactive about treating Carpal Tunnel and putting it in remission. You can learn how to heal naturally and never need to worry about surgery or permanent nerve damage. “Don’t worry be happy!” Help is on the way!
Soft tissue injuries, like sprains and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome require six weeks to heal naturally in most cases when you get the right treatment. The Carpal Solution Treatment Kit has been carefully developed by leading Doctors and Medical Device designers using the most advanced materials and expert medical knowledge to achieve the optimum natural passive stretching system for healing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during sleep.
Doctors developed the Six Week Treatment Protocol through painstaking work with individual patients. It turns out most people only need six weeks of gentle passive stretching during sleep to jump-start their body’s healing processes, disperse the trapped inflammation and put their Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms in complete remission.
Most people get relief of their worst symptoms within 3 weeks and complete remission within 6 weeks of Carpal Solution Stretching Treatment.
Once CTS is in remission it usually stays in remission for 5 to 7 years. Your body is normally really good at dispersing excess inflammation. It is only when it gets trapped and spins out of control that it needs some help to get back to normal.
There are proven methods for managing and dispersing inflammation naturally, we can help your learn how. The Carpal Solution is the anchor of a proven lifetime approach to natural healing to manage your hand health.
Repetitive stress activities bring on Carpal Tunnel Strain which can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in people predisposed genetically for the Syndrome. Any activity that requires vigorous repeated hand use will often lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
However, most people, even medical professionals, are unaware that systemic inflammation throughout the body can be a major contributing factor to the onset of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. So, people with inflammatory conditions like diabetes, a thyroid condition, arthritis, or any auto immune condition are much more likely to experience Carpal Tunnel Syndrome than the population at large. You can learn more about these risk factors here: Physiological Conditions That Contribute to CTS
By clicking on the “read more” link below you will find a list of common occupations and activities that have been identified with a high incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Most people associate the onset of Carpal Tunnel with the long-term use of computers for hours each day, however while many people who work on computers have a high incidence of Carpal Tunnel, hundreds of other professions also have a high rate of encountering the Carpal Tunnel Condition.
Starts at 8:04
There is evidence that there may indeed be some genetic factors involved in developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In fact, at the 2007 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Diego, study researcher David Ring, MD, an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, announced that “The major risk factor for carpal tunnel is genetic.”
So, in the case of Carpal Tunnel Surgery, is it a permanent fix, or will Carpal Tunnel Come back even after a successful surgical procedure? It is a simple question with a complicated answer.
However, we can state that for most people (over 90%) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome will reoccur in patients even after a successful surgical procedure.
According to patients only 50 -60% of Carpal Tunnel Surgeries are deemed successful.
We might be a little biased, but we believe the best carpal tunnel treatment is the carpal solution.
The Short Answer is “No”!, You should not be rushed into a surgical decision based on the threat of “Permanent Nerve Damage”.
Many patients report that they are pressured into a quick decision on Carpal Tunnel Surgery with the threat of “Permanent Nerve Damage”. The reality is as follows:
First of all, lets be clear, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a result of Nerve Inhibition caused by inflammation putting pressure on the Median Nerve in the tightly compacted Carpal Tunnel Space. Surgery is not the best way to address the root cause of Carpal Tunnel which is Trapped Inflammation.
Permanent Nerve Damage can happen with CTS, but only after prolonged severe carpal tunnel compression of the Median Nerve and excruciating unbearable pain.
Permanent damage to the Median Nerve does not happen in a month or two. It takes prolonged pinching of Median Nerve with severe carpal tunnel usually over years to result in permanent nerve damage. So, You have time to make a sound medical decision based on facts not fear.
Should a person endure the aggravating and inhibiting hand dysfunction of Carpal Tunnel for months without treatment? Of course not, there is no reason to suffer when there are proven low risk natural treatment options that work with no downtime to disperse the trapped inflammation that causes CTS within just six weeks.
The point is no one should be rushed into surgery due to concern about “Permanent Nerve Damage”. Take the time to gather the facts and make a considered decision based on medical science to treat the “Root Cause” of carpal tunnel syndrome naturally and without risks.
Our medical team would suggest that patients follow the broadly accepted principle in medicine of relying on reasonably documented non-invasive treatments first before resorting to invasive, higher-risk options, like surgery.
This recommendation is consistent with clinical practice guidelines published by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). AAOS strongly recommend that non-surgical, conservative treatments be offered as first-line therapies. Surgery is generally reserved for severe cases (like those involving severe muscle wasting) or when symptoms persist after several months of conservative management. So, this prestigious group of orthopedic surgeons agree, you should do months of conservative treatment before progressing to more invasive treatment options.
This hallmark of orthopedic medicine is especially appropriate for a chronic recurring condition caused by trapped inflammation like CTS. Any reasonable conservative treatment with a solid track record should be relied upon before resorting to a surgical procedure that often has to be repeated due to excess inflammation recurring. There are better ways to treat carpal tunnel syndrome in modern medicine; than repeat surgical procedures with the resulting scar tissue, downtime and risks of the typical complications associated with surgery, like blood clots, infections, reactions to anesthesia, etc.
One could argue that repeated surgery as a treatment for carpal tunnel exposes a person to more risks, than the potential risks associated with permanent nerve damage. As a general rule in medicine: “Surgery is a last resort when other viable less invasive treatments have failed to help.”
None of this means surgery is the wrong choice for everyone — for patients with EMG-confirmed severe compression, denervation, or severe thenar muscle wasting, surgical evaluation is genuinely appropriate. In a case of serious trauma to the hand or wrist, surgery might also be a first choice without hesitation.
In the absence of an emergency, the wait can often be months for the medical testing, evaluation and scheduling of surgery to play out. While one waits for appointments, evaluations and surgical windows, it would be appropriate to attempt to resolve your condition with the less invasive, natural carpal tunnel treatment approach at home.
There is no risk for trying the natural treatment kit while you pursue the appropriate surgical evaluation. Both paths can be pursued simultaneously without any increased risk. In fact, the parallel path would actually reduce one’s risk exposure provided one could resolve their symptoms naturally and avoid invasive procedures altogether.
For patients without extreme or severe findings or emergency trauma, there’s real value in trying a lower-risk, less invasive, natural approach first, understanding your own test results, and making the decision that fits your specific case — not one driven by a general warning or panic about nerve damage.
Symptoms
Early detection and treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is important to checking the progression of this debilitating syndrome, and yet some of the early symptoms are subtle and can be easily mistaken for other issues.
The first symptom people usually notice is that their hand and fingers become numb and tingling while they are sleeping causing them to wake up frequently during the night. Most people do not even realize that this is a symptom of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and attribute the numb feeling to sleeping on their hands in an awkward position, cutting off blood circulation.
One of the first signals people have that they are getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is that they start dropping things accidentally on a regular basis. This can get very frustrating to people as they break important items like smart phones or spill coffee on equipment or co-workers.
Most people do not realize that this is an early symptom of Carpal Tunnel and that it can be treated proactively in the convenience of home during sleep.
It is common for people suffering from early symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Strain not to realize the cause of their hand pain and numbness. Early diagnosis allows early treatment and prevention of Chronic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms are most pronounced at night. Sufferers often wake up at night with numb hands thinking that they are sleeping in a position that restricts circulation causing their hands to “go to sleep” or feel numb. If you are experiencing regular sleep disruption due to your hands and fingers or thumb feeling numb at night, you probably are in the early stages of Carpal Tunnel Strain. In the case of Carpal Tunnel Strain, early detection and preventive action is important to check the progression of the syndrome.
The simple answer is Yes, Chronic Cold Hands are a common symptom of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But this question deserves a longer explanation. Like many symptoms people are often taken by surprise with the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Some of the most surprising symptoms are pain in the shoulder or pain in the forearm or even pain in the neck joints that occur as a result of the Median Nerve being pinched in the Carpal Tunnel.
Often, hand injury and the resulting hand pain can be one of the first signals of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is due to the swelling of the injured and damaged soft tissue in and around the Carpal Tunnel of the Hand. Soft tissue is made up of cartilage, fascia tissue, ligaments, tendons, tendon sheaths in which the tendons slide to prevent damage to surrounding tissue and muscles.
The swelling of the injured tissue puts external pressure on blood vessels and nerves in the relatively tight space in and around the Carpal Tunnel at the base of the hand.
We’ve compiled a list of our best articles about carpal tunnel symptoms.
Treatments
Since the condition is reoccurring, it is important to find a therapeutic approach that is has a high success rate with minimal risks, minimal time commitment and can be applied when needed at a reasonable cost. There are a host of options that are being promoted in the medical community and online. We will review most of them here in order of which best fits the above criteria or is most commonly encountered and explain why. One thing to keep in mind is that people have widely varying responses to the various treatment options, so it is important to keep the range of possibilities and time frames in mind when reviewing these treatments.
Most people start with the 6-Week Treatment Pac and that’s all they need. They get rid of their worst symptoms within 3 weeks and complete remission in 6 weeks and then it goes away for 5-7 years.
So why is there a 1-Year Treatment Pac? Carpal Tunnel is cause by excess inflammation that gets trapped. Some people (about 10%) have excess systemic inflammation (ESI). There are over 30 different physiological conditions that can contribute to ESI. Some examples include diabetes, arthritis, thyroid conditions, Lyme Disease, gum disease, Crohn’s Disease or any other autoimmune disorder, etc. Repetitive stress at work or in hobbies can also lead to routine excess inflammation.
If you feel like you have ESI or too much repetitive stress, it would be a better economic choice to order the 1-Year Treatment Pac. However, even people with these conditions will see significant improvement within the first 6 weeks, but will likely have to do some extended treatment to achieve complete remission. Once CTS is in complete remission, it can go away for a long time. If you have any of these conditions, surgery is not a good option because CTS will come back quickly even after a successful surgery. Everyone, especially people with the conditions listed above, will find the Carpal Solution is the best way to manage their Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Many sufferers find it difficult to take ten to fifteen minutes segments out of their busy lives five times a day for Carpal Tunnel stretching and exercise in the disciplined way required to prevent carpal tunnel symptoms. Stretching is actually more beneficial with CTS than hand and wrist exercises. In fact exercising injured, inflamed tissue can actually do more damage than good. Also, some people find that their syndrome has already progressed to the point where doing intensive exercises or manual stretching several times a day, can be too painful and frustrating, even though it may likely be helpful.
Carpal Solution Therapy offers CTS sufferers a better way to achieve natural stretching exercise needed without the downtime and without the pain. You can learn more by clicking on the arrow on the picture below this will show a YouTube video on Carpal Tunnel Stretching Using the comfortable Carpal Solution taping system.
Great question Samantha! Since Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is reoccurring no matter how you treat it, it can be useful to do Maintenance Treatment or Preventative Treatment. There is no permanent cure for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It comes back even after a successful Carpal Tunnel Surgery for 85% of people within 6 months to 8 years. Even if you go for 15 years without Carpal Tunnel Symptoms it can still come back.
Though there are many false claims about cures for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a “Syndrome” not a disease, so there is no “Carpal Tunnel Cure” per se.
However, The Carpal Solution Therapy is the closest thing to a cure that you will find.
Many Carpal Tunnel Syndrome sufferers find reliable relief from their painful symptoms, sleep disturbance, and loss of hand functionality using the Carpal Solution and think of it as their carpal tunnel cure.
Great Question Lisa, there are a lot of funky “home remedies” or “old wives’ tales” that wastes people’s time, their money, and extends their suffering and can even lead to more complications. So, it is important to evaluate any home remedy carefully and see if they pass the “smell test.” There are some simple things you can check out to see if a so called “Home Remedy” is legitimate.
Here is a check list to help you evaluate any Home Remedy:
- Who developed the treatment protocol? Was it a Doctor?
- Is the treatment safe? Are there potential complications?
- Who Provides the Remedy? A Medical Device Company?
- Are there Clinical Studies to Back it up?
- What do other patients say about the treatment’s success or failure?
Surgery
Carpal Tunnel Surgery is done under twilight anesthesia. The drugs cause temporary amnesia, so it feels like one has been completely knocked out. Even though general anesthesia is not administered, when the patient awakes they cannot remember any of the events that have taken place during the surgery. Through an incision on the wrist, the carpal ligament is severed to relieve the pressure on the median nerve – Hence, the phrase “Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery”. The incision is sutured closed with the expectation that the ligament tissue will scar back together over several months leaving more space.
Cost of surgery and rehabilitation is in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 with some improvement achieved in over 70% of cases. Full restoration is achieved in less than 60% of surgeries. Downtime and rehabiliation generally range from six weeks to three months, but can take over a year, depending on how many lingering symptoms result and the degree of scar tissue formation as this primary ligament in the hand heals back together. Scar tissue formation during recovery from surgery is unpredictable and sometimes results in less space in this narrow anatomical passage of the wrist after the carpal tunnel surgical procedure, causing even more discomfort and numbness after surgery. This complication is only reported in less than 15% of surgical procedures.
Patients are often told that success rates are high (over 90%) for Carpal Tunnel Surgery when they visit the surgeon’s office. However, on the other hand, the patients know so many people who have to have Repeat Carpal Tunnel Surgeries or have friends for whom the Surgery did not work at all. Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery is one of the most performed procedures in medicine. Almost everybody knows somebody that has had it. It is one of the quickest and easiest surgeries from a Surgeon’s perspective.
Surgery is routine for Surgeons and they become accustom to the risks and tend to minimize the risks of surgery when they talk to patients. It is only natural, it is human nature to minimize the risks a person deals with on a daily basis. Airline pilots do it, big mountain skiers do it and so do hand surgeons.
However, there are well documented risks of any surgical procedure. These are divided into two categories Life Threatening Risks and Other Specific Risks of Carpal Tunnel Surgery:
Patients considering this surgery should go into the procedure with their eyes wide open to the potential risks.
Many patients report that the wait time to schedule and undergo carpal tunnel surgery can range from about two to six months, depending on the surgeon’s availability, neurologist diagnosis scheduling and availability of a surgery suite. There tends to be a lot of waiting between multiple appointments unless it is an emergency situation.
If you’re in that waiting period, it makes sense to use proven, low-risk conservative treatments while you wait for the invasive option of surgery. Rather than simply waiting, a parallel approach gives your body a chance to respond to proven conservative treatment while you’re exploring surgical options and consequences. It is a big win if you can heal naturally and avoid surgery altogether.
Most patients, symptoms improve enough using The Carpal Solution Kit at home during this window, that they’re able to cancel surgery and avoid, the risks, downtime, the scar tissue, potential complications and long grueling rehabilitation process of surgery.
Afterall, the best way to deal with a chronic recurring condition like CTS, which is caused by trapped inflammation, is jump-starting the body’s natural healing process and dispersing the trapped inflammation naturally.
The parallel path allows you to pursue a solid resolution with the least risks. Most people get such good results with the Carpal Solution Natural Stretching Kit that they confidently cancel their surgery and go on with their life without complications, worry or downtime.
When CTS, recurs in five to seven years, they simply repeat the Carpal Solution Six Week Treatment Kit.
The Carpal Solution becomes “The Solution to CTS for Life” and you never have to concern yourself with the hassle of hand surgery again.
A lot of people believe that because they have insurance it would be a good idea to go ahead and have Carpal Tunnel Surgery, thinking that the surgery represents a permanent fix. Well, first of all, this procedure is not a permanent fix for CTS. It comes back for 85% of people within 6 months to 7 years. Secondly, most health insurance is designed to have co-pays and deductibles, so the patient shares expenses and has “some skin in the game.” Thirdly, Carpal Tunnel Surgery has a low success rate on patient surveys. It comes in at a: 50% -60% success rate. So, you might want to get the facts before you act.
Out-of-pocket expenses for the patient for this surgical procedure average $ 1,200 even for people with solid health insurance. It is important to understand what costs you will incur both out of pocket and personally with any surgical procedure. The process can be complicated and confusing.
Patients who do their research recognize that they need to try other alternatives before resorting to a surgical procedure to treat their Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is because patient surveys show a 50% to 60% success rate and even when Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery is considered successful, it is still likely to come back for 85% of people within seven years. So, undergoing surgery is not a great option. It should be considered as a last resort after other clinically documented treatment regimens have been applied.
The first Carpal Tunnel Treatment Alternative that you should consider is Carpal Solution Therapy. It was developed by Doctors working with patients and has a 97% success rate. Patients say that it is the best medical treatment they have ever tried. It is a natural stretching therapy applied at night during sleep using a unique taping system.
Some patients describe the traditional approach to the treatment of Carpal Tunnel offered to them by the medical community as “An Invasive Carpal Tunnel Gauntlet”.
There are Wrist Splints that make CTS worse. Then, Oral Pain Medications, like Gabapentin, or Prednisone that have way too many complications for a chronic recurring condition like CTS.
Next, Steroid Injections that only work 50% of the time, only help for 2 to 3 months, and cause joint deterioration with repeated exposure. Then, Carpal Tunnel Surgery, which is not a permanent fix and only has a 50 to 60% success rate based on patient surveys. That is a low success rate for modern medical procedures. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome recurs even after a “Successful” surgical procedure.
Repeated surgical procedures cause excess scar tissue and other typical potential complications of surgical procedures (infections, blot clots, reactions to anesthesia, etc.), and the success rate dips to unacceptable levels with each successive surgery due to scar tissue from the previous surgery. Yikes!!!
An “Invasive Carpal Tunnel Gauntlet” may be an appropriate description of the above treatment approach!
You can avoid these “Pitfalls.”
There is a better way to manage CTS naturally for life.
Check out Carpal Solution Quick Start Guide and learn the best way to treat Carpal Tunnel Naturally for the rest of your life.
My Carpal Solution
RISK FREE 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
The ONLY treatment for carpal tunnel that comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and offers you access to an experienced medical team to support you in your natural healing in your own home. We have your back!
The Carpal Solution Pain Relief Promise
At First Hand Medical, we are dedicated to helping you achieve natural healing with confidence. Our promise is to be your partner through every step of your recovery, providing the expert guidance you deserve to help you achieve an all-natural solution to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for life.
- Clinically Proven Therapy backed by Expert Doctors
- Expertly trained customer service team who are available to coach you through every step of the treatment to ensure you’re getting the best results
- Support to Simplify Health Insurance Reimbursement
- 30-Day Satisfaction Window
- We are your partner, committed to help you avoid the risks and downtime of Carpal Tunnel Surgery.
Jeff Conley
President
First Hand Medical The Carpal Solution
