Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Symptoms & Treatments | MedStar Health

MedStar Health
>
Healthcare Services
>
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
>

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Find a Doctor

Request an Appointment

Browse this page

Understanding carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a type of hand nerve entrapment that occurs when swelling in the tunnel compresses the median nerve. The carpal tunnel is a space in the wrist where a nerve and nine tendons pass from the forearm into the hand. Learn more about our services available across the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and northern Virginia areas.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

How repetitive hand movements can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome

During repetitive hand motions, like typing, the tendons in the carpal tunnel become irritated - causing swelling and inflammation.

Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome

As a result of the pressure on the median nerve, patients with carpal tunnel syndrome may experience symptoms including:

Hand pain and finger pain, including burning, tingling, and numbness
Hand pain or wrist pain, extending to the elbow
Sensation that the hand is swollen, even if it is not
Weakened grip and difficulty picking up small items
Problems with fine finger movements in one or both hands
Numbness in hands

This condition is common in people who perform repetitive wrist and hand motions, such as typing on a computer keyboard. It also affects those who grip tightly or use their wrists consistently, such as cashiers, cyclists, meat cutters, and musicians.

A doctor examines the wrist of a patient experiencing hand pain.

Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome

Non-surgical treatments & home care

Many nonsurgical courses of treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome are available, such as

Splints or braces to immobilize and rest the wrist
Adjustments to how you perform daily activities
Oral anti-inflammatory medications
Steroid injections

When is carpal tunnel surgery recommended?

If nonsurgical treatment is not successful in resolving your hand pain or if treatment is sought too late, surgery may be required. This surgery involves enlarging the carpal tunnel, which will relieve the swelling and pressure on the nerve.

Learn More About MedStar Health's Approach to Minimally Invasive Nerve Surgery

Our providers

Location: Change location Enter your location

Hand Surgery

William Hugh Baugher, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Aviram Moshe Giladi, MD

Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery & Plastic Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Jessica B Hawken, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
Ryan M Jander, MD

Shoulder And Elbow Orthopedic Surgery, Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Book an
Appointment
Michael William Kessler, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Book an
Appointment
Kenneth Robert Means, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Michael Sean Murphy, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Kevin W O'Malley, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Book an
Appointment
Daniel Aaron Portney, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery
Jessica M. Figueroa, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery
Christopher Lee Forthman, MD

Shoulder And Elbow Orthopedic Surgery, Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
Peter C. Innis, MD

Hand Surgery
Kristin Elizabeth Karim, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Keith Alan Segalman, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
Sami Hani Tuffaha, MD

Plastic Surgery & Hand Surgery
Ryan Michael Zimmerman, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Show Next 8 of

Show All Hand Surgery

Orthopedic Surgery

Katharine Danielle Harper, MBBCH MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Adult Reconstructive Orthopedic Surgery

Book an
Appointment
Jessica B Hawken, MD

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
Taylor DAmore Kimball, MD

Hip And Knee Orthopedic Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Jon David Koman, MD

Shoulder Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery & Knee Orthopedic Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Matthew Thomas Morris, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Orthopedic Spine Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Kelsey Anne Rebehn, MD

Orthopedic Surgery
David A Weiner, MD MS

Orthopedic Spine Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Jessica M. Figueroa, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery
Kristin Elizabeth Karim, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery

Request an
Appointment
David Brian Lumsden, MD

Orthopedic Surgery
Megan Rose Miles, MD

Orthopedic Surgery
Mark Donald Perry, MD

Orthopedic Surgery
David T. Streets, MD

Orthopedic Surgery
Patricia Julia Fonseca Turner, MD

Orthopedic Surgery
William Robert Volk, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine
Bo Zhang, MD

Orthopedic Surgery

Show Next 8 of

Show All Orthopedic Surgery

Neurosurgery

Evelyne S Akoth, MD PA

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery
Saeed Ayed Alqahtani, MD

Neurosurgery, Neurology, Vascular Neurology & Spine Surgery
Amjad Nasr Anaizi, MD

Neurosurgery, Spine Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Neurosurgical Oncology, Vascular Neurosurgery & Brain and Tumor Neurosurgery

Request an
Appointment
Vinay R. Deshmukh, MD

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Zeena Dorai, MD

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Ehsan Dowlati, MD

Interventional Radiology & Neurosurgery

Request an
Appointment
Mark H Iguchi, MD

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery
John Lynes, MD

Brain and Tumor Neurosurgery, Spine Surgery & Neurosurgery

Request an
Appointment
Jeffrey Ching-Kwei Mai, MD PHD

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Charles A. Miller, MD

Neuroradiology, Spine Surgery & Neurosurgery
Susan Cecilia Moreno, MD PA

Spine Surgery & Neurosurgery
Vikram V Nayar, MD

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery

Request an
Appointment
Rizwan Ahmad Tahir, MD

Spine Surgery, Neurosurgery & Interventional Neuroradiology

Request an
Appointment
Jean-Marc Voyadzis, MD

Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery
Teresa Joanna Wojtasiewicz, MD

Neurological Surgery & Neurosurgery
Kareem Zaghloul, MD

Neurosurgery