Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Treatments and injections to consider Iron Acton & Yate BS37

Daniel Taylor
Jun 4
3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common condition characterised by pain, tingling, numbness and altered sensation in the hand — most noticeably in the thumb, index finger and middle finger. Symptoms are often intermittent in the early stages and are commonly worse at night, frequently causing disturbed sleep. Many people notice that shaking the hand helps relieve the symptoms temporarily.

Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve becomes compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist crease. This nerve controls sensation to parts of the hand and also helps power some of the muscles in the thumb.

Common contributing factors include:

Repetitive hand and wrist movements
Office or computer-based work
Pregnancy
Diabetes
Arthritis
Fluid retention and inflammation around the wrist

In more severe cases, symptoms can become persistent and may lead to weakness in the hand, reduced grip strength and muscle wasting around the thumb.

Common Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Tingling or pins and needles in the hand
Numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers
Burning or aching pain in the wrist or hand
Symptoms worse at night
Weak grip strength
Dropping objects unexpectedly

Simple Treatments That Often Help

In the vast majority of cases, symptoms will settle with simple conservative measures such as:

Wearing a wrist splint at night
Gentle nerve glide exercises
Avoiding aggravating activities
Using anti-inflammatory gels such as ibuprofen or diclofenac (Voltarol) around the wrist crease

A wrist splint helps keep the wrist in a neutral position while sleeping, reducing pressure on the nerve.

You may find these products helpful:

Exercises

Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome are very much based around trying to improve the freedom of movement of the median nerve. This is considered a 1st line of treatment. Therefore, the exercises are largely focused on gently stretching and mobilising the nerve — often referred to as nerve gliding or nerve flossing exercises.

These exercises aim to:

Reduce irritation around the nerve
Improve nerve mobility within the carpal tunnel
Reduce tingling and numbness
Improve hand and wrist function

It is important that the exercises are performed gently and within comfort. Symptoms should not significantly worsen during or after the exercises.

Examples of common exercises include:

Wrist extension stretches
Finger and tendon glides
Median nerve gliding exercises
Gentle wrist mobility exercises

For a reliable guide to carpal tunnel exercises, you can visit:

Exercises For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Steroid Injection Therapy

If symptoms have not improved after approximately 6–12 weeks, or symptoms are severe from the outset, a steroid injection may be recommended.

Here at Elite Joint Solutions, we offer targeted steroid injections for carpal tunnel syndrome. Steroid injections are powerful anti-inflammatory medications delivered directly to the source of the problem, helping to reduce inflammation around the median nerve and maximise recovery.

Most patients begin to notice improvements within a few days, although in some cases it can take several weeks for the full benefit to develop.

Research suggests that in approximately 70% of cases, a single steroid injection can settle the problem completely. In some cases, we may also combine injection therapy with stronger medications such as naproxen or amitriptyline to help manage pain and improve sleep quality.

When Is Surgery Needed?

Unfortunately, in a smaller number of cases, symptoms may persist despite conservative treatment and injection therapy. If this happens, surgery may need to be considered as an alternative treatment option.

Carpal tunnel release surgery involves relieving the pressure on the median nerve and is generally very successful, particularly when performed before permanent nerve damage develops.