What Causes Severe Pain And Soreness In Hand And Wrist?

Posted on Tue, 5 Jul 2016

Question: I had carpal tunnel surgery on December 22, 2015. 2 days ago I began to have some soreness in that hand, but today I am having severe sharp pain and cannot apply any pressure to the hand or hardly bend my wrist without experiencing that pain. My surgeon cannot see me until a week from Monday. What should I do?

Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
To confirm the diagnosis

Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
To recapitulate: Female/62 - Carpal tunnel surgery Dec 22, 2015 - soreness in the same hand 2 days ago - severe sharp pain and can not apply any pressure to the hand today - can hardly bend the wrist without pain - Surgeon can not see until a week from Monday - wants to know what to do ...

I would advise you the following in such a situation:
- Go to ER for clinical evaluation and to decide whether this is due to the carpal tunnel syndrome or due to cervical spondilitis and get investigated accordingly
- Ask for the tests of thyroid functions
- Elevate the hand above the heart level in laying down position as it helps to reduce the edema and pain.
- Rest the hand/wrist in the most comfortable position and maintain the position by applying crepe bandage
- Continue Ibuprofen at 8 hourly duration.

I hope this answer helps you, please feel free to ask for further relevant queries if you feel that there is a gap of communication.

Note: For further inquiries on surgery procedure and its risks or complications book an appointment now

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar