Carpal Tunnel Surgery Recovery Time

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a health problem which is being seen more and more frequently across the world. Carpal tunnel syndrome is basically a repeated pain in the wrist, which in more serious situations can render you completely unable to perform even your most basic daily tasks. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve disorder and is mostly caused due to a variety of related factors, ranging from diabetes and osteoarthritis to hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis. And given that one of the best ways of getting rid of this syndrome is undergoing a carpal tunnel surgery, the recovery time is an important factor that you should be aware of.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery Recovery

Carpal tunnel surgery is seen as a good enough to ward off the trouble of carpal tunnel syndrome for a long time. But one has to keep in mind that the surgery is not advisable for those with a less serious carpal tunnel problem and only those with moderate to severe carpal tunnel syndrome should opt for it. Carpal tunnel surgery recovery is a long one and any surgery is a pretty serious matter. Hence before taking the decision to undergo the surgical procedure, it makes sense to check with your doctor if there is an alternative to the surgery.

But generally, you ought to go for the surgical procedure in the following cases.

• Carpal tunnel symptoms have bothered you for more than 10 months
• Continued numbness
• Muscles located in the base of the palm start to shrink
• Occurrence of symptoms within 30 seconds of the Phalen's test.

The other options you and your doctor could explore as alternatives to the surgery include splints, anti-inflammatory agents and physical therapy for strengthening the muscles.

There are two main types of carpal tunnel surgery and they basically differ on the size of the incision, the extent of the carpal tunnel syndrome and the recovery time.

Open Release Surgery
The open release surgery is a pretty straightforward procedure which involves making an incision on the hand and the carpal ligament is cut free from the median nerve. The open release surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome requires a pretty long incision across the palm and wrist. The time required to heal is quite a lot in this case. It takes about two weeks to be able to operate your hands to begin with. For the first month after the surgery, you will need constant help of someone to help you go about your daily routine. It takes about 10 months to be able use your hands the way you could prior to the surgery.

Endoscopy
Endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery requires a couple of pretty small incisions made on the wrist and on the palm. The surgeon then inserts an endoscope and tries to see the extent of the problem before cutting the carpal ligament free from the median nerve. The surgery is reportedly a lot less painful and recovery time is quite less. It takes about a week to regain the basic motor skills in the wrist.

Carpal tunnel surgery recovery takes a whole lot of physiotherapy post surgery so that the muscles around the wrist may regain their strength faster. Hence, while the time to heal completely can take about 10 months, with proper care and use of physiotherapist-approved exercises after surgery, it can be reduced as well.