Stabbing Pain After Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Carpal tunnel syndrome usually requires surgery to remove the strong, fibrous covering of the flexor tendons in the palm, thus relieving pressure on the median nerve. This nerve runs from the forearm into the hand and controls most of the sensations and movements of the human hand.
Pressure on the median nerve (caused by wrist injuries, arthritis, or fluid retention, for example) produces painful tingling and numbness in the hand and fingers, particularly the thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
This article explores the common causes of stabbing pain after carpal tunnel surgery and how Physical Therapy in Woodstock can help.
Why Do You Need Carpal Tunnel Surgery?
The median nerve runs from the forearm into the palm and is relatively close to the surface in areas around the wrist. When this nerve is compressed, the results can be pretty intolerable. The intensity of the pain, numbness, and/or tingling sensations that a person can experience while suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome is astronomical.
Carpal tunnel surgery (also known as carpal tunnel release) cuts the band of fibrous connective tissue (the ligament) that lies over the median nerve and is pressed down on it. When the tissue above the nerve is cut, it relieves the pressure on the nerve.
Causes of Stabbing Pain After Carpal Tunnel Surgery
If you experience stabbing pain post-carpal tunnel surgery, you're not alone. This might be due to a couple of reasons like;
Nerve Irritation
Your median nerve—the very thing that prompted the surgery in the first place—could be overly sensitive or even irritated. Stress and surgical incisions will do that to a nerve. As the median nerve heals (which will take some time), you may feel weird and odd sensations. However, your nerve is healing fine.
Scar Tissue Formation
Also, stabbing pain after carpal tunnel surgery may be due to your body forming scar tissue at the incision site. If you move your wrist or hand and feel a pain that's almost like a sharp poke, then the scar tissue that's forming around the incision side might be a part of that pain.
Inflammation
It is normal for the surgical site to be inflamed after the operation. This should calm down within a few days. If it does not, the inflammation could be irritating your nerve or the tissues around it, and you might feel some pretty intense pain.
Tendon or Muscle Issues
Stabbing pain in the wrist could also result from issues in the tendons or muscles that control the wrist and hand. If those structures are strained or irritated as you heal, and you're asked to perform certain ranges of motion in therapy, it could feel intense.
When to Seek Medical Attention for Stabbing Pain
While some pain and difficulty around the wrist are expected, persistent or intense pain can be a sign that something isn't right. If your pain is severe and doesn't get better with rest, medication, or relaxation, you should get it checked out.
Your physical therapist will assess your condition and its severity before creating a treatment plan for you. They will also work with you, ensuring you follow your plan and also making necessary adjustments.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Stabbing Pain After Carpal Tunnel Surgery
An important part of controlling post-operative pain, including sharp pains related to carpal tunnel surgery, is what physical therapists do after surgery. If you're having pain after surgery, physical therapy offers highly controlled, skilled, and individualized patient care.
Ice and Heat Therapy
Ice and heat can help deal with pain and inflammation after your surgery. Your physical therapist may recommend applying ice packs to the swollen region to relieve pain. Heat, on the other hand, will promote blood circulation to the stiff area to help you move your hand more easily.
Scar Tissue Mobilization
Scar mobilization involves a very gentle massage of the scar area, and then you do some stretching. The idea is to break up the adhesions and prevent (or minimize) more scar tissue formation. By doing this, your physical therapist aims to alleviate the pressure on your median nerve.
Range of Motion Exercises
Hand, wrist, and forearm exercises are a standard part of the program. However, you can’t just wake up and do these exercises. Your physical therapist will assess the extent of your condition—mild, moderate, or severe—during the first session.
Your therapist then determines the appropriate types of exercises. In mild and moderate cases, the program usually prescribes stretching and strengthening exercises to improve flexibility and restore range of motion and strength for the wrist and hands.
In severe cases, you may also undergo exercises, but they will be mostly passive till you can do them yourself.
Modalities
After carpal tunnel surgery, physical therapy modalities at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - Hickory Flat may include electrical stimulation and ultrasound therapy. Electrical stimulation is quite different from ultrasound. Your physical therapist will use a small handheld device to apply a safe, low-level electrical current to your pain area. The current will enter your muscles to create a contraction and promote pain relief.
Ultrasound therapy, on the other hand, uses sound waves to treat stabbing pain post-surgery. The waves will penetrate your body and generate heat to increase blood circulation and ease tense muscles.
Education
Working in a cold environment, poor posture, and repeatedly moving your hand and wrist can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Preventing or limiting the activities that caused the problem in the first place can prevent the need for surgery and consequently, post-operative pain.
Your physical therapist will educate you on proper body mechanics and posture to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from reoccurring. They will also recommend setting up your workplace ergonomically and modifying your daily activities.
Conclusion
Carpal tunnel surgery can leave a patient with pain that, to many, would seem as though the healing process had not taken place. It can leave you with a sting that penetrates very deeply—comparable to a sharp knife cutting through flesh.
If you feel abnormal pain after your surgery, inform your physical therapist. They will monitor you closely and work with you on proper recovery. You will also follow a tailored hand therapy in Woodstock plan to address your symptoms and medical history.