Recovering from Carpal Tunnel Surgery
By Sandy Andrews
November 1, 2011 -- Surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome is not only the most frequent surgery of the hand and wrist, it's also one of the most common types of surgical procedures overall in the United States.
And although it may be routine for your orthopedic surgeon, it's important for you as a first-time patient to understand the steps of recovery from carpal tunnel surgery.
Being prepared will help set your expectations and allow you to better plan for your post-operation recovery.
Following is a timeline breakdown of a typical recovery period.
Day 1. After surgery, the hand and wrist are placed in a post-operative dressing. For patients with moderate to severe nerve compression, pain and numbness will go away immediately. It may take three to six months for patients with nerve damage.
A silicone splint will be applied and worn eight hours per day (or at night) for two months to reduce incisional scar tissue.
Week 1. Stitches are removed, and your first of six weekly hand therapy sessions begins. Therapy is one-on-one and includes massage, stretching and strengthening, as well as weekly instruction and guidance to promote a speedy recovery.
You will be discouraged from doing heavy work with your hands during the first four weeks, but you should be using your hand for simple tasks such as writing, eating and brushing teeth.
Week 2. Patients with sedentary jobs that don't require repetitive grip strength can generally return to work by this time.
Week 4. You may experience increased wrist discomfort and stiffness at this stage, which is caused by the formation of scar tissue. Expect this to subside in another two to four weeks.
Week 6. Weekly hand therapy sessions are concluded, and patients with manual labor jobs will start returning to work between now and another six weeks.
Month 3. Your normal grip and pinch strength is most likely back.
Month 6. Incisional scar thickness will soften and return to normal skin between this point and month 12.
To get to the point of surgery you've undoubtedly suffered from carpal tunnel symptoms for six months or more. You should be encouraged to know that recurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome following treatment is rare and the majority of patients recover completely.
We wish you the best with your procedure and a happy recovery.
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Sandy Andrews is a certified hand therapist and occupational therapy supervisor at Youngstown Orthopaedic Associates.