Do you know that? Do your fingers tingle and your hands fall asleep at night? Sometimes your hands even fall asleep while holding your cell phone, riding your bike or reading. If your hands often fall asleep, this is a typical symptom of incipient carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Those affected should act quickly and specifically at the first signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. But it doesn’t always have to be surgery. Find out more about a new, gentle yet effective treatment method for carpal tunnel syndrome.
At the beginning, the tingling often only occurs at night; over time, the frequency increases and the numbness in the fingertips becomes more severe. This may indicate the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome.
About one in ten adults in Germany suffers from these symptoms, with women during and after menopause being particularly affected. The exact underlying cause of the disease is often unclear.
The pain or numbness in carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by an increase in volume in the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel or carpal canal is a channel through which tendons and the median nerve, the middle arm nerve, pass. The tendons are surrounded by a thin sheath, which is colloquially called tendon sheaths.
When overused, these tendon sheaths can swell, requiring more space and increasing pressure in the carpal tunnel. In carpal tunnel syndrome, pressure on the median nerve increases, causing pain because the nerve becomes trapped.
Carpal tunnel syndrome usually begins with numbness in the hands and tingling in the tip of the middle finger; many sufferers report tingling or painful sensations in the thumb, index finger and middle finger. A little later, the whole hand feels swollen and the pain radiates into the hand and forearm.
Carpal pain occurs primarily at night. They are accompanied by increasing weakness in the hand: it is difficult to unscrew a lid, grasp small objects, or open a button.
If not diagnosed early, irreparable damage to the median nerve and muscle atrophy of the thenar eminence can occur. This severely limits fine motor skills, and grasping movements in particular are hardly possible.
As part of conventional therapy, the doctor will often prescribe a night splint as the first step. The aim of wearing it while sleeping is to prevent the hand from accidentally twisting. It is important that the splint is actually only worn at night, as wearing it during the day can lead to stiffening of the wrist.
However, it is often reported that wearing a night splint is perceived as uncomfortable and unpleasant. The real disadvantage, however, is that although it can disrupt sleep, the splint has no long-term effect on the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. The pressure on the median nerve remains unchanged because the carpal tunnel is not expanded.
If symptoms do not improve and hands continue to tingle and hurt, conventional treatment often involves surgery as the next step in the treatment plan after a few weeks or months. During carpal tunnel surgery, the carpal ligament is severed, thereby widening the nerve canal.
This can be done by open surgery or minimally invasively (endoscopically) and carries the usual risks associated with surgery.
The first risk of carpal tunnel surgery is that when the carpal ligament is severed, the median nerve may be injured, causing permanent damage. In such cases, those affected report persistent pain immediately after the operation.
With curpal® we have developed an alternative to conventional treatment and surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome that many people have longed for.
The treatment approach of curpal ® is:
The hand is inserted into the device. Using a hand pump, the air cushion is gradually inflated and the pressure is maintained for about three minutes. This procedure is repeated three times in a row and the entire cycle is performed three times a day. In this way, the carpal tunnel is stretched slowly and steadily. Most patients notice significant improvements after just a few weeks.
This stretching gives the median nerve, which runs through the carpal tunnel, more space, reducing pressure on the nerve and reducing symptoms of nerve pressure, such as tingling in the fingers, nighttime pain, or numbness.
Since this gentle method has no side effects, it can be used at any time and is also suitable during pregnancy.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition characterized by symptoms such as tingling, numbness, and other unpleasant sensations in the wrist area. Those affected often complain of symptoms that occur especially at night. The causes of carpal tunnel syndrome can be varied, from diabetes to advanced age.
The phenomenon of the arms falling asleep while lying down can be uncomfortable and disturb sleep. In this article, we will explore the most common causes of arms falling asleep when lying down, as well as provide some tips on how to treat and prevent this problem.
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