Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common problem affecting the hand and wrist. Symptoms begin when the median nerve gets squeezed inside the carpal tunnel of the wrist. The carpal tunnel is an opening through the wrist to the hand that is formed by the bones of the wrist on one side and the transverse carpal ligament on the other. (Ligaments connect bones together.) This opening forms the carpal tunnel.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has published a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for physicians to use when planning treatment for patients with diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome. The guideline has nine specific recommendations covering nonsurgical and surgical treatment. Efforts were made to address various topics studied including timing of surgery (early vs. late) and the use of local steroid injections, splinting, or ultrasound treatment.

The average lifetime cost of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is about $30,000. That's for an injured worker so it includes medical costs, lost wages for the worker, and the cost of lost productivity for the employer. That explains why effective treatment is important all the way around. Reducing those costs and improving worker health and productivity is a key goal.

Everyone likes to have a visual picture of what's happening to them to cause their various symptoms. But sometimes the added expense doesn't really yield the results we are looking for. In the case of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), experts from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) suggest you can save your money.

In order to ensure consistent results for all patients with various conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, clinical practice guidelines are published. Organizations like the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons review the literature and summarize findings based on current evidence available.

As a patient with symptoms of hand and arm pain, numbness and tingling, and muscle weakness, you should expect to get the same exam and diagnosis no matter what physician examines you. That's the reason the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) published these guidelines for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The elbow/forearm/wrist complex is just that -- a complex mix of bones, ligaments, and other soft tissues. Damage to one can affect the others. A loss of motion such as you are having (called forearm supination) can be very distressing and limiting. But it's not likely that the loss of that motion is a direct result of radial head resection (removal).

The differential diagnosis of wrist/thumb pain includes several possibilities. The only way to find out for sure is to see your doctor for an evaluation. He or she will take your history, look at your signs and symptoms, and perform some tests to identify the specific underlying problem.

Not necessarily. The standard of practice for de Quervain's is currently a trial of splinting, rest, and antiinflammatories. This is not based on hard core research data as this type of research on the treatment of de Quervain's doesn't exist.

Workers who are exposed to repetitive motions that result in pain, stiffness, loss of motion, and loss of function may have a condition called upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorder (UEMS). Knowing how a condition like this plays itself out is called the natural history. Telling you what to expect as the final outcome is the prognosis.