Recently, a quick test for carpal tunnel syndrome has been circulating on social media, leading many people to self-diagnose at home. However, the reliability of this test needs to be considered in many aspects as suggested by doctors below.
Not the only “compass”
Specialist Doctor Vo Van Long, Deputy Head of the Day Treatment Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Branch 3, said that the quick test for carpal tunnel that is spreading is actually the Phalen test, a clinical method commonly used to initially assess carpal tunnel syndrome, which is performed exactly as follows: The patient bends both wrists 90 degrees close together and holds that position for 60 seconds. This test is positive when sensory symptoms appear in the area controlled by the median nerve.
The carpal tunnel test that went viral online requires the test taker to hold their wrists bent for 30 seconds. If their hands feel numb, they are at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.
However, the results of the Phalen test are easily affected by many factors such as the time of performance, posture and health of the performer. Therefore, this result should not be relied on to conclude about the disease condition but should be based on diagnostic criteria.
According to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), diagnostic criteria for carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Clinical symptoms:
- Numbness or pain in the hand, which may radiate to the forearm or arm.
- Paresthesia or numbness, loss of sensation in the skin area innervated by the median nerve.
- Weakness of hand movements controlled by the median nerve, leading to clumsiness and dropping objects.
- Dry, discolored hands.
- Symptoms appear along the path of the median nerve (in the hand, the median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel and supplies sensation to the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and one-third of the ring finger).
In addition, accompanying characteristics include: Symptoms often appear at night; onset after maintaining a position or performing a repetitive wrist and hand movement; symptoms often decrease when changing movement or hand and wrist position.
“The diagnosis of this disease is determined when there is a functional symptom or a physical symptom combined with the EMG (electromyography) results of the upper limb,” said Dr. Vo Van Long, adding that functional symptoms are symptoms that the patient feels; meanwhile, physical symptoms are obtained through examination.
Mostly unknown cause
According to Dr. Vo Van Long, carpal tunnel syndrome is mostly primary (idiopathic, unknown cause). Risk factors for the disease include:
- Congenital small carpal tunnel
- Female (for a number of reasons related to anatomy, genetics, hormones…)
- Working conditions: Some jobs often require maintaining the same wrist position for long periods of time, such as typing on a computer keyboard, talking on the phone (holding the phone to the ear), texting, riding a motorbike, etc., which increases pressure in the carpal tunnel.
In addition, some secondary causes mentioned are: Diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney failure... causing damage to peripheral nerves, including the median nerve; rheumatoid arthritis; pregnancy, menopause, obesity (due to water retention increasing pressure in the carpal tunnel, compressing the median nerve); trauma, fractures, dislocations in the wrist area.
“Primary carpal tunnel syndrome appears to progress over time, although there is some variability in the individual patient, which can lead to permanent damage to the median nerve. If symptoms become severe or do not improve within three months of conservative treatment, surgery may be recommended,” Dr. Long added.
Working regularly on a laptop can also cause wrist disease.
Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment
Depending on the severity, patients can choose to be treated with modern medicine and traditional medicine. For modern medicine, there are 3 methods suggested by doctors:
- Conservative treatment: For mild cases, it includes rest, medication, and wrist splints to immobilize and reduce pressure. Physical therapy exercises such as stretching, massage, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation can also help relieve pain and improve blood circulation.
- Corticosteroid injections: Help reduce inflammation and swelling in the carpal tunnel if symptoms are severe.
- Surgery: Indicated when conservative treatment is ineffective, the disease becomes severe, or the nerve is damaged. The doctor will perform surgery to release the median nerve, helping to reduce symptoms of pain and numbness.
For traditional medicine, patients can try acupuncture therapy, which helps stimulate blood circulation and reduce inflammation in the carpal tunnel. In addition, electroacupuncture is also an acupuncture method developed in the process of applying combined treatment of traditional and modern medicine, supporting the control of pain or muscle weakness.
In addition, acupressure massage, traditional medicine and heat therapy (hot or cold) are also recommended by Dr. Vo Van Long in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Applying a hot towel or ice pack to the wrist area for about 10-15 minutes at a time can help reduce swelling and relieve symptoms of this disease.
In daily life, to prevent and reduce the symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to regularly change the position of the hand, especially the positions that have the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome as mentioned in the article. Doctor Vo Van Long also advises everyone to avoid resting their head on their hand when sleeping and to go for a medical examination to receive early treatment for secondary causes of the disease.
Mechanism of action of thread implantation
According to specialist doctor Vo Van Long, Deputy Head of the Daytime Treatment Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, facility 3, thread implantation is a method that combines traditional medicine and modern medicine in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, following the same principles of acupuncture.
The thread acts as a self-dissolving protein, so when implanted into acupuncture points, it will have a strong effect of increasing metabolism. During the self-dissolving thread process, it will create local biochemical reactions: Increase protein and carbohydrate regeneration, reduce catabolism, increase anabolism, increase protein, reduce lactic acid, increase muscle nutrition; increase capillary network, improve blood circulation in the implanted thread area, and can also produce new nerve fibers in the muscle bundle.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thuc-hu-ve-cach-tu-kiem-tra-hoi-chung-ong-co-tay-dang-lan-truyen-tren-mang-185241110111431732.htm
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