When things start falling..
One of the most common nerve compression syndromes is carpal tunnel syndrome. It involves the median nerve being trapped in a structure called the transverse carpal ligament. Its main symptoms include numbness in the palm area (the area of the thumb, index, and middle fingers), possible pain, and dropping objects from the hands of the patient. This syndrome haw 3 stages
In the first stage, the numbness occurs during the night and usually wakes the patient, who shakes their hands to relieve the numbness."
n the second stage, the numbness persists even during the day."
In the third stage, the numbness disappears. The disappearance of symptoms does not mean that the nerve has healed; rather, it indicates that the nerve has been weakened
Since the median nerve—at the level where it is compressed—primarily functions as a sensory nerve, the dropping of objects from the patients' hands is not due to their inability to hold them but rather to their decreased ability to perceive how much force is needed to stabilize them in their hands. The result is that they apply less force than required, causing the object to fall.
The treatment of the syndrome depends on the stage it is in. The following have been tried:
- Immobilization of the wrist
- Medication via mouth or injections at the wrist with varying results
- Surgery, in which the transverse ligament is cut and the median nerve is decompressed
Generally, decompression of the median nerve has the best long-term results in restoring sensation in the palm
As a surgery, it is relatively simple: it is often performed under local anesthesia, although the involvement of an anesthesiologist is also possible. The recovery period is short, and the patient can soon use their hand for daily activities
The recovery of the nerve depends on the degree of compression (which we infer from the stage of the disease and observe from the appearance of the nerve itself when we release it) and the duration it has been trapped (i.e., the time elapsed from the onset of symptoms until the patient decides to see a specialist)