Researchers say a non-surgical treatment is just as good as invasive surgery in relieving painful symptoms associated with carpel tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition of the wrist resulting from compression of the median nerve that runs from the base of the palm up to the forearm affecting people who perform repetitive hand motions, including computer users, dental hygienists, and even golfers and tennis players.
Standard treatment for symptoms of carpel tunnel syndrome include splinting and pain relievers like ibuprofen. When those methods fail to help, many patients undergo surgery to decompress the nerve. However, another option is to receive steroid injections to relieve symptoms.In a recent study researchers compared results between people who had been experiencing symptoms of the condition for at least three months. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either surgery or the steroid injections. Results showed no difference in outcomes between the groups over the long term, and in the short term, people who received the injections actually reported better relief of symptoms.
