Our Health Library information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist our patients to learn more about their health. Our providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein. You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them. Get the Compare Your Your Quiz Your Summary Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve problem that causes tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in the fingers, thumb, or palm, and sometimes the forearm. These symptoms are caused by pressure on a nerve (median nerve) in the wrist (carpal tunnel). This problem is often linked to hand and wrist motions that you do a lot. These are called repetitive motions. Swelling or fluid retention in the wrist—which can happen during pregnancy or because of a health problem—also can cause carpal tunnel symptoms or make them worse. Severe carpal tunnel syndrome that lasts a long time can lead to permanent damage to the median nerve. This can make it hard for you to use your hand. You may have: Surgery reduces the pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. The doctor cuts a ligament to relieve the pressure on the nerve. The surgery is called carpal tunnel release. It can be done in different ways: You may decide to have surgery if you've had very bad symptoms for a long time and other treatments haven't helped. Sometimes surgery is done to prevent lasting nerve damage. You will likely have a nerve test to see if you are at risk for nerve damage. Most people who have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome have less or no pain and numbness in their hand and better hand function after surgery.footnote 3 It's not clear how long you should try nonsurgical treatment before considering surgery. But after people who have severe carpal tunnel syndrome have surgery, they typically have fewer symptoms and better hand function than people who continue using wrist splints or a combination of medicine and hand therapy.footnote 2 Both types of surgery—open and endoscopic—work equally well to improve symptoms.footnote 4 Talk to your doctor about which surgery might be best for you. Major problems from surgery can happen, but they are rare. About 1 person out of 100 has a major problem after surgery, such as nerve damage, while 99 out of 100 people don't.footnote 4 You can try several home treatments to help relieve your symptoms. This may be all you need to do for mild symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Doctors suggest that you try these treatments for several weeks to months before you think about having surgery. You may try to: Other choices Rest, ice, and other home treatments may be all you need if you've had mild symptoms for a short time. Your doctor may also suggest that you try wrist splints or corticosteroids to avoid or delay surgery. Your doctor might recommend surgery if: Compare What is usually involved? What are the benefits? What are the risks and side effects? These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions. One of the most annoying things about my carpal tunnel syndrome is the night pain in my hands. If I don't wear the splints, it wakes me up almost every night. But with the splints, I can get a good night's sleep, and my doctor says that my thumb and hand strength are not too bad. I'm nervous about any kind of surgery, so when my doctor said it would be okay to wait awhile, I said, "Great." If the splints stop working, though, I'll probably be back in my doctor's office! Dave, age 55 I own a landscaping business, and a few months ago I started having a lot of pain when putting in backyard fences. Then the pain started to wake me up at night and keep me awake. My doctor said I had a classic case of carpal tunnel syndrome. I tried some of the home treatments that she recommended, and the problem didn't get any worse, but it didn't get any better, either. So I went back and asked about surgery. It sounds like the surgery has a good chance of taking care of the problem, so I'm going to give it a try. When you own your own company, it's too expensive to keep missing work. But I'll have to wait till the slow season, because I'll have to take a few weeks' break to recover. Javier, age 46 I thought for sure that I was going to have to have surgery for my carpal tunnel. I type a lot for my job, and my symptoms were really getting bad. My fingers were numb, so I kept hitting the wrong keys on the keyboard and making errors. The pain was waking me up at night, and it was even starting to hurt during the day. I went to my boss and the human resources manager at work, and together we worked out a job-sharing arrangement. Now, for half the day I do work that's not on a computer. I am going to see how that helps, along with the exercises and the splints. Catherine, age 40 When I dropped my third coffee cup in a week, I decided it was time to do something about my hands. I've had this carpal tunnel problem for a couple of years now, and I'm tired of wearing the splints and getting occasional steroid shots in my wrists. My doctor says that whether I have surgery or not is really up to me at this point. I think I'm ready for it. Danitra, age 36 Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements. Reasons to have surgery Reasons not to have surgery I tried other treatments, but my pain is still bad. I can live with the pain while I give other treatments some more time to work. I don't mind having surgery if it can get rid of my symptoms. I just don't want to have surgery. I'm not worried about the small chance of problems from surgery. I don't want to take even a small chance of something going wrong with surgery. I'm afraid of having lasting nerve damage from carpal tunnel syndrome. I'm not worried that I'll have lasting nerve damage from carpal tunnel syndrome. My other important reasons: My other important reasons: Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now. Having surgery NOT having surgery Check the facts Decide what's next Certainty 1. How sure do you feel right now about your decision? Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve problem that causes tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in the fingers, thumb, or palm, and sometimes the forearm. These symptoms are caused by pressure on a nerve (median nerve) in the wrist (carpal tunnel). This problem is often linked to hand and wrist motions that you do a lot. These are called repetitive motions. Swelling or fluid retention in the wrist—which can happen during pregnancy or because of a health problem—also can cause carpal tunnel symptoms or make them worse. Severe carpal tunnel syndrome that lasts a long time can lead to permanent damage to the median nerve. This can make it hard for you to use your hand. You may have: Surgery reduces the pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. The doctor cuts a ligament to relieve the pressure on the nerve. The surgery is called carpal tunnel release. It can be done in different ways: You may decide to have surgery if you've had very bad symptoms for a long time and other treatments haven't helped. Sometimes surgery is done to prevent lasting nerve damage. You will likely have a nerve test to see if you are at risk for nerve damage. Most people who have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome have less or no pain and numbness in their hand and better hand function after surgery.3 It's not clear how long you should try nonsurgical treatment before considering surgery. But after people who have severe carpal tunnel syndrome have surgery, they typically have fewer symptoms and better hand function than people who continue using wrist splints or a combination of medicine and hand therapy.2 Both types of surgery—open and endoscopic—work equally well to improve symptoms.4 Talk to your doctor about which surgery might be best for you. Major problems from surgery can happen, but they are rare. About 1 person out of 100 has a major problem after surgery, such as nerve damage, while 99 out of 100 people don't.4 You can try several home treatments to help relieve your symptoms. This may be all you need to do for mild symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Doctors suggest that you try these treatments for several weeks to months before you think about having surgery. You may try to: Other choices Rest, ice, and other home treatments may be all you need if you've had mild symptoms for a short time. Your doctor may also suggest that you try wrist splints or corticosteroids to avoid or delay surgery. Your doctor might recommend surgery if: These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions. "One of the most annoying things about my carpal tunnel syndrome is the night pain in my hands. If I don't wear the splints, it wakes me up almost every night. But with the splints, I can get a good night's sleep, and my doctor says that my thumb and hand strength are not too bad. I'm nervous about any kind of surgery, so when my doctor said it would be okay to wait awhile, I said, "Great." If the splints stop working, though, I'll probably be back in my doctor's office!" — Dave, age 55 "I own a landscaping business, and a few months ago I started having a lot of pain when putting in backyard fences. Then the pain started to wake me up at night and keep me awake. My doctor said I had a classic case of carpal tunnel syndrome. I tried some of the home treatments that she recommended, and the problem didn't get any worse, but it didn't get any better, either. So I went back and asked about surgery. It sounds like the surgery has a good chance of taking care of the problem, so I'm going to give it a try. When you own your own company, it's too expensive to keep missing work. But I'll have to wait till the slow season, because I'll have to take a few weeks' break to recover." — Javier, age 46 "I thought for sure that I was going to have to have surgery for my carpal tunnel. I type a lot for my job, and my symptoms were really getting bad. My fingers were numb, so I kept hitting the wrong keys on the keyboard and making errors. The pain was waking me up at night, and it was even starting to hurt during the day. I went to my boss and the human resources manager at work, and together we worked out a job-sharing arrangement. Now, for half the day I do work that's not on a computer. I am going to see how that helps, along with the exercises and the splints." — Catherine, age 40 "When I dropped my third coffee cup in a week, I decided it was time to do something about my hands. I've had this carpal tunnel problem for a couple of years now, and I'm tired of wearing the splints and getting occasional steroid shots in my wrists. My doctor says that whether I have surgery or not is really up to me at this point. I think I'm ready for it." — Danitra, age 36 Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements. Reasons to have surgery Reasons not to have surgery I tried other treatments, but my pain is still bad. I can live with the pain while I give other treatments some more time to work. I don't mind having surgery if it can get rid of my symptoms. I just don't want to have surgery. I'm not worried about the small chance of problems from surgery. I don't want to take even a small chance of something going wrong with surgery. I'm afraid of having lasting nerve damage from carpal tunnel syndrome. I'm not worried that I'll have lasting nerve damage from carpal tunnel syndrome. My other important reasons: My other important reasons: Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now. Having surgery NOT having surgery 1.
Home treatments may be all I need to get rid of mild symptoms from carpal tunnel syndrome. 2.
Surgery may not be a good choice if my symptoms are caused by pregnancy or a health problem. 3.
Most people who have surgery have less or no pain or numbness and better hand function. 1.
Do you understand the options available to you? 2.
Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you? 3.
Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice? 1.
How sure do you feel right now about your decision? 2.
Check what you need to do before you make this decision. Current as of: July 17, 2023 Author: Healthwise Staff Clinical Review BoardCarpal Tunnel Syndrome: Should I Have Surgery?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Should I Have Surgery?
1
Facts2
Options3
Feelings4
Decision5
Yourself6
Get the facts
Your options
Key points to remember
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
What problems can you have from carpal tunnel syndrome?
How does surgery fix carpal tunnel syndrome?
How well does surgery work?
What can you do other than have surgery?
How well do other treatments help symptoms?
Why might your doctor recommend surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome?
Compare your options
Personal stories about surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome
What matters most to you?
Where are you leaning now?
What else do you need to make your decision?
Your Summary
Your decision
Next steps
Which way you're leaning
How sure you are
Your comments
Your knowledge of the facts
Key concepts that you understood
Key concepts that may need review
Getting ready to act
Patient choices
Credits and References
Author Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Should I Have Surgery?
1. Get the Facts
Your options
Key points to remember
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
What problems can you have from carpal tunnel syndrome?
How does surgery fix carpal tunnel syndrome?
How well does surgery work?
What can you do other than have surgery?
How well do other treatments help symptoms?
Why might your doctor recommend surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome?
2. Compare your options
Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome Try other treatments What is usually involved? What are the benefits? What are the risks and side effects? Personal stories
Personal stories about surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome
3. What matters most to you?
4. Where are you leaning now?
5. What else do you need to make your decision?
Check the facts
Decide what's next
Certainty
By Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document some Information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
FAQs
Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome
Try other treatments Try other treatments
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Credits
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You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.
Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.
FAQs
More important
Equally important
More important
More important
Equally important
More important
More important
Equally important
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Leaning toward
Undecided
Leaning toward
That's right. Home treatments often work for mild symptoms from carpal tunnel syndrome. You can try rest, ice, and doing tasks in a new way.
That's right. Symptoms often go away after childbirth or after treatment for the health problem.
That's right. Surgery improves symptoms in most people. But it doesn't work all the time.
Not sure at all
Somewhat sure
Very sure
Credits
References
Citations