Carpal Tunnel Syndrome News and Research

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Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers (although not the little finger), as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move. The carpal tunnel - a narrow, rigid passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand - houses the median nerve and tendons. Sometimes, thickening from irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed. The result may be pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. Although painful sensations may indicate other conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common and widely known of the entrapment neuropathies in which the body's peripheral nerves are compressed or traumatized.

Advanced technique shows 3D structure of nerve fibers in high resolution

In an international collaboration led by Lund University in Sweden, researchers have used synchrotron light to study what happens to the nerves in diabetes. The technique shows the 3D-structure of nerve fibers in very high resolution.

6 May 2020

Exploring common tech-related injuries

Nearly half of all U.S. adults say they can't live without their smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center. But what happens when our fondness for the latest electronic gadgets creates more pain than gain?

12 Feb 2020

Study shows how myelinated mammalian nerves propagate nerve impulses at high frequencies

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers, for the first time ever, have achieved patch-clamp studies of an elusive part of mammalian myelinated nerves called the Nodes of Ranvier.

6 Nov 2019

Esports need new protocols in sports medicine, say researchers

Across the U.S. the esports athlete is a rising class of competitor in the highest collegiate and professional arenas. According to researchers in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, the field of sports medicine needs to catch up in order to address these players' particular needs.

5 Nov 2019

Movement of wrist bones revealed by MRI and computer modeling

We use our wrists constantly, but how do they work? In a just-published Journal of Biomechanics article, the researchers proved a longtime assumption about individuals' right and left wrists, while also finding differences between wrists of males and females: discoveries that could help inform and guide future treatments.

14 Feb 2019

Day-tripping to the dispensary: Seniors in pain hop aboard the canna-bus

Shirley Avedon, 90, had never been a cannabis user. But carpal tunnel syndrome that sends shooting pains into both of her hands and an aversion to conventional steroid and surgical treatments is prompting her to consider some new options.

18 Sep 2018

Ferring announces FDA approval of ZOMACTON for injection in four new pediatric indications

Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved ZOMACTON for injection in four additional pediatric indications

20 Jul 2018

New MRI glove prototype shows promise in future diagnosis of repetitive strain injuries

A new kind of MRI component in the shape of a glove delivers the first clear images of bones, tendons and ligaments moving together, a new study finds.

9 May 2018

Women with ER-positive breast cancer face disease recurrence risk years after treatment ends

Even 20 years after a diagnosis, women with a type of breast cancer fueled by estrogen still face a substantial risk of cancer returning or spreading, according to a new analysis from an international team of investigators published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

9 Nov 2017

Sanford Health to evaluate effectiveness of non-opioid medications

Sanford Health is one of three sites in the U.S. to launch a study to determine if non-opioid medications are as effective in managing pain after carpal-tunnel surgery.

30 Oct 2017

Timely diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome can prevent long-lasting damage

The sooner carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances for symptom relief, according to experts at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

4 Aug 2017

Revolutionary product provides surgery- and drug-free way to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms

CarpalAID is a revolutionary new product that relieves painful carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms without drugs, braces or surgery.

12 Jul 2017

Heavy smart phone use can have unfavorable effect on hand and arm nerves

Heavy users of smart phones tap on the touchscreen of their mobile phones more than 5,000 times a day. A study presented at the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Amsterdam shows that these finger acrobatics can put a major strain on the nerves of the hand and arm.

27 Jun 2017

Excessive use of electronic devices may be linked to greater risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome

In a study of 48 university students, intensive users of electronic devices reported more wrist/hand pain than non-intensive users.

21 Jun 2017

Researchers develop nerve wrapping nanofiber mesh to facilitate regeneration, restore function

A NIMS-Osaka University joint research team developed a mesh which can be wrapped around injured peripheral nerves to facilitate their regeneration and restore their functions.

28 Feb 2017

New comprehensive study lists top personal health expenses in the U.S.

Just 20 conditions make up more than half of all spending on health care in the United States, according to a new comprehensive financial analysis that examines spending by diseases and injuries.

28 Dec 2016

People with increased risk for heart disease could more likely have shoulder problems

After all the lifting, hauling and wrapping, worn out gift givers may blame the season's physical strain for any shoulder soreness they are feeling.

27 Dec 2016

U-M investigators awarded $7.5 million NIH grant to expand chronic pain research

In order to better understand the disparity between identifiable damage and chronic pain, the National Institutes of Health has awarded $7.5 million over five years to physician-scientists at the University of Michigan Health System.

19 Oct 2016

New AAOS guidelines can help doctors make accurate diagnosis of CTS

New guidelines approved by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board of Directors recommend the collective use of a thorough patient history and specific physical examination maneuvers, in addition to observation and specific diagnostic tests to more definitively diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome, a common source of hand numbness and pain affecting approximately 3 million Americans--primarily women--each year.

3 Mar 2016

Surgery and manual physical therapies similarly effective in improving pain for CTS patients

Results of a randomized clinical trial, published in The Journal of Pain, showed that surgery and manual physical therapies were similarly effective in improving pain and function for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

9 Dec 2015