Carpal Tunnel Release in Kansas City
Carpal Tunnel Release
Your Solution to
Hand & Wrist Discomfort.
Understanding the Basics Behind Hand & Wrist Pain
What is Carpal Tunnel Release?
Acute hand and wrist injuries can strike at any given moment, whether you’re doing a normal daily task or enjoying your favorite hobby. However, certain injuries are due to repetitive motions over time and can be influenced by your genetics. This is the case with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Most of us think of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as an ailment that occurs due to constant typing at work or writing in your free time. While this can certainly play a factor, research shows that there are a number of different factors that can play a role in increasing the risk of irritation or damage to the area. These can include arthritis, adjacent fracture, swelling, obesity, genetic conditions like diabetes and even your gender.
Regardless of wrist issues you’re dealing with—whether it’s a sprain, strain, fracture, ligament tear—help is available. The highly skilled providers at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance can help you find the necessary treatments to get you back to pain-free living.
Your First Appointment for Hand & Wrist Injuries
Choosing a carpal tunnel release in Kansas City is a decision that typically involves guidance from your primary care doctor and orthopedic physician. When you choose Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance, one of our highly-trained, orthopedic hand and wrist specialists will conduct an initial evaluation to better understand your condition. After a complete review of your results, your provider will discuss whether carpal tunnel release is the best treatment option for you.
Some of the common signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Burning and tightening of the fingers
- Weakness in grip
- A prickly “pins and needles” type feeling in the fingers
- Swelling
- And more
Both acute and chronic injuries can be corrected by the experts at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance. When you visit us, we’ll take the time to determine the cause of your pain and determine whether a treatment like carpal tunnel release is best for you.
When a patient visits one of our KCOA offices, a skilled orthopedic specialist will ask you questions regarding your symptoms, what aggravates/alleviates your symptoms, and whether you have attempted prior therapies. Next comes a thorough physical exam. We will then review any images you bring with you and/or take new images. After determining the cause of your pain, we can discuss if carpal tunnel release will work best for your needs.
Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance hand & Wrist Assessment
Assessing the Injury
Determining the proper treatment process for hand and wrist injuries starts with an assessment from one of our experienced providers. You can think of hand and wrist pain as a spectrum, with some instances being more severe than others.
The KCOA orthopedic specialists always focus on each patient and their concerns before creating a treatment plan.
Therefore, during your initial appointment, we will often ask questions such as:
From there, we can decide what treatment option will align best with your needs and lifestyle goals.
- Does your pain currently limit you or your activities?
- Has your pain progressed or worsened recently?
- Are you having numbness or tingling in the hand, wrist or fingers?
- Have you noticed any change in your symptoms that has made it more challenging to function?
- What are your lifestyle goals?
- How has pain affected those goals?
Examination
Once we’ve completed a proper assessment, your provider will often begin with a physical examination to help determine the origin point of your pain. In some cases, advanced testing may be required for a full diagnosis. This may include:
X-Ray
Also called radiographs, an X-ray captures a picture of the wrist. Orthopedic physicians may order an X-ray to rule out the possibility of a fracture (broken bone), osteoarthritis, or other bone-related conditions.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
MRI captures images of muscles, bones, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons to help provide information other tests can’t detail. During an MRI, you will lie on a table that slides into a tube-shaped scanner. The machine creates a magnetic field around you, using pulsed radio waves to form the MRI images.
Electromyograms (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies
Our board-certified physiatrists utilize electromyograms (EMGs) and nerve conduction studies to help determine whether nerves and muscles respond properly to stimuli. The EMG measures the electrical activity of your muscles at rest and in motion, while nerve conduction studies determine how fast and effectively your nerves and muscles receive electrical signals.
Symptoms
Common Signs and Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are numerous potential causes of pain when it comes to hand and wrist injuries. Similar to other areas of your body, there are a number of different parts working together in your hand and wrist, leading to many different chances for injury or chronic pain. Each of these causes comes with its own distinct set of symptoms.
For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome specifically, several different risk factors can lead to this condition. Your carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist, and it contains the median nerve that stretches down the entire arm. When the tunnel becomes narrow, it causes pressure on the median nerve and reduces its blood supply, causing the complications associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
The causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are multifactorial. Handling tools that require a lot of force or that impart a significant amount of vibration can contribute to symptoms. Maintaining a poor wrist position over an extended period of usage can contribute to symptoms as well. While these factors can certainly play a role in developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, arthritis, fractures, age, or genetics can also meaningfully affect the condition.
Causes
Causes of Hand & Wrist Pain
The body has a number of different joints that all work in unison in order to function normally.
However, all of these different working parts means that your hand and wrist can face a variety of potential injuries. How severe your hand and wrist pain is will vary depending on a few different key factors, including both the location and the source of the problem.
As with many of the other joints in your body, both the hand and wrist are susceptible to acute injuries, it can be susceptible to injuries that occur acutely or more chronic conditions that build up over the years because of repetitive motions or poor form. The soft tissue of your hand and wrist, consisting of muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments, help to protect these joints and bones.
Whether you’re suffering from an acute or chronic injury, the hand and wrist specialists at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance are here to assist. We’ll help you find the root cause of your pain and determine whether a carpal tunnel release is right for you or if you require a different treatment.
Treatment Alternatives
In most cases, surgery is not the first option for treatment at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance. If we can treat your hand and wrist issues with more conservative treatments, we’ll choose those options. We typically exhaust all non-surgical options prior to recommending surgery.
Non-surgical treatments for the hand & wrist and include:
Occupational/Physical Therapy
A trained therapist will focus on the issue that’s causing the pain or symptoms as well as the deficits that are present as a result of the injury. Stretches, strengthening exercises, manual soft tissue work, and modalities like hot and cold therapy may help you recover.=
Medications
Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil) or prescription medications. Especially with NSAIDs, you should always talk to your doctor to ensure they are the right treatment for you.
Injections
Therapeutic injections can help reduce inflammation, and the effects tend to last for 3 to 6 months. During that time, we often encourage patients to work with a therapist to improve strength and flexibility, while their symptoms are being aided by the medication. Many people manage their pain with injections and physical therapy.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine, like stem cell injections or platelet-rich plasma, can help nourish worn or damaged tissue. This option works best if you have mild-to-moderate wrist pain.
Bracing/Immobilization
Your physician may prescribe a brace to help maintain your wrist in a neutral position while the inflammation or swelling associated with your injury subside.
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance is here to help.
Our care is personal. Our team is knowledgeable. And we’re more available than ever.
With access to board-certified specialists across Kansas City, we have the tools to meet almost every musculoskeletal condition.
Our Locations
Overland Park, Kansas
10777 Nall Ave Suite 300 Overland Park, KS 66211Leawood, Kansas
3651 College Blvd. Leawood, KS 66211Kansas City, Missouri
Saint Luke's Medical Plaza #1 4320 Wornall Rd., Ste. 610 Kansas City, MO 64111Belton, Missouri
Belton Regional Campus 17067 S Outer Rd #301 Belton, MO 64012Merriam, Kansas
7450 W. Frontage Rd Merriam, KS 66203