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Do you have a job that requires you to make the same motions with your hands and arms all day? Do you have a hobby like this that you indulge in daily? Things like this can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms can include chronic pain, weakness, swelling, numbness, and tingling in the wrists, hands and elbows. Many people get surgery to relieve the pain, but there are other ways to treat it.

Surgery should only be used in the most extreme cases, when all other treatments have failed. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the median nerve becoming compressed. At the point where the transverse carpal ligament binds together the ligaments of the arm is where the median nerve becomes compressed. This is caused by the stress on the nerve by repetitive motion, and the hardening of the soft tissues in the hand.

If you have had no luck with other treatments, surgery might be your best option to remedy your carpal tunnel syndrome. But if your livelihood depends on your hands being operational, surgery could cause major problems. The recuperation time can be nearly 2 months, or longer in some cases. Plus, carpal tunnel surgery is not cheap. The procedure can cost upwards of $10,000.

The surgery is actually considered a “light surgery” and is about as un-invasive as they get. A twilight anesthetic is all that is needed in most cases. But no surgery should be taken lightly, especially when it is being performed on a complex area like the hand.

With this surgery, the transverse carpal ligament is severed. Completely cutting this ligament instantly releases the pressure on the median nerve. Even though the patient can gain instant relief from this, the healing process will take a long time and you may be out of work for quite some time. Once healed, your hands and wrists should have less discomfort, and better motion. It should be kept in mind that there can be a loss of strength in your hands after the surgery.

You might be interested to know that you don’t have to go through all of that to relieve your carpal tunnel syndrome. If you contact a therapist or look on the web, you’ll see there are several very simple exercises you can use to loosen the transverse carpal ligament so that the pressure on the median nerve is released. Also, consider having your hands massaged so the soft tissue there remains relaxed. And finally, try to maintain good posture and ergonomic technique when you do your job, so the pressure on your hands and wrists are greatly reduced.

Many people are surprised when they learn of these techniques to relieve carpal tunnel symptoms. So many act like surgery is the only option, and really surgery should not be gotten if it is at all avoidable. Trying less extreme methods before surgery is always a good idea. There have been people who have ended up with worse pain after surgery than they had before.