What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition caused by a narrowing of the carpal tunnel causing a compression of the structures within the tunnel, including the median nerve. This compression of the median nerve is what causes the uncomfortable symptoms of tingling, numbness and pain.
The median nerve is the nerve that travels down the arm into the hand. With CTS, the nerve is squeezed as it passes through the narrow path (or tunnel) at the wrist. To enter the hand, the median nerve must pass through the narrow opening at the wrist joint. On one side of the wrist joint are bones, and on the other is a strong ligament, flexor retinaculum, that runs across the wrist. The ligament and the bones form a firm channel that has little ability to expand.
The pressure on the wrist can cause the fingers and thumb to feel tingly and numb. They may even feel paralyzed. The symptoms will most likely begin as mild, increase to moderate and eventually become severe if left untreated. Mild symptoms will most likely begin with tingling and numbness in one or more than one of the tips of your fingers. This may be accompanied by pain around the wrist area and interruption in sleep. Symptoms can increase to include the whole hand, numbness for an increased amount of time, and more severe pain.
Carpal tunnel affects mostly women; the ratio has been reported as high as 9 to 1 according to a report in the Journal of Hand Surgery, 1997. About 87 percent of cases have bilateral symptoms (affecting both the right and left hands).
What causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
- Injury to the wrist can lead to it.
- Different kinds of arthritis that cause the wrists to swell can also cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).
- Repeated movements and heavy use of the hand and wrist may play a role. Some people who have jobs or hobbies that make them use their hands and wrists in this way may be at greater risk of getting CTS.
- People with diabetes may get CTS.
- There may be a link between CTS and hormones. Some women get CTS after a change in certain hormones, such as during pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?
CTS presents with pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and fingers. The symptoms of CTS are constantly annoying, cause you to wake up at night, and are usually worse in the morning. The symptoms make activities of daily living much more difficult and can prevent you from getting work done. If you have CTS, you may drop everything, writing hurts, typing hurts, gripping hurts, using the hands hurts. Get the correct diagnosis by a physician.
How do I use CTRAC?
Ctrac is quick and easy to use. It takes just five minutes, three times a day for four to six weeks! Just follow the instructions:
- Place on hand as shown in the picture here.
- Inflate for two minutes.
- Deflate for one minute.
- Inflate again for two minutes.
Click here to watch CTRAC instructions.
How do I know what size to purchase?
Hand sizes vary from person to person. Based on standard deviations, we have come up with three different sizes based on the distance between the metacarpophalangeal joint distance from the index finger to the little finger (the width of the knuckles). Visit the Order Ctrac page for more details or measure your hand as seen on this page. Choose the closest to your size.
- Small: Less than three inches
- Medium: Between three and four inches
- Large: Between four and five inches
- X-large: More than five inches
How long do I have to use CTRAC?
A stretching program of five minutes, three times a day for four to six weeks would be sufficient for most mild to moderate cases with usage of one to two times a month for maintenance during the following six months. This would maintain the carpal ligament (as well stretched) with minimal recurrence. For severe cases, it may be more appropriate for patients to follow a six-to-eight-week program with two to four times a month (five minutes each time) for maintenance for the first six months after the initial weeks of treatment.
Our clinical study showed by the seventh month, most patients had no symptoms when using Ctrac and needed no other therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Do I have to sleep with CTRAC on at night?
No. CTRAC is used three times a day for five minutes at a time. Use it for two minutes at a pressure of 180 mmHg; take one minute of rest; and then use it for another two minutes at 180mmHg for a total of five minutes. See instructions on package for more details.