Tingling sensation in left thumb : Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Dear Ask The Doctor: I play the guitar almost everyday; recently I have been getting a tingling in my thumb joint which only arises when I play and fades a while after, never appearing at any other time. I have my wrist at quite an angle sometimes, but I have stopped playing for now as i don't want this to get any worse. Should I seek medical help or just rest it? I will be investing in a wrist support and making sure to warm up my arm muscles properly before playing after this has passed.

Dear Kirsty: According to your description of the tingling and your activities, it is most likely that you are experiencing a Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), which is an entrapment of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel at the level of the wrist. Usual symptoms include numbness, tingling, and pain in the wrist and hand. The conservative treatment includes first of all a work-site ergonomic assessment may help to reduce potentially exacerbating factors, in your case you should modify all the postures or activities that reproduce the tingling. The use of a wrist-hand brace that sets the wrist joint in neutral position (to be worn at nighttime for a minimum of 3-4 weeks) many off-the-shelf wrist splints seem to work well. A specific stretching/strengthening program for the hand and wrist may be useful in improving strength and dexterity. The use of anti-inflammatory medications (i.e.: “Aleve”) may be of benefit to control de pain if you have any. Lack of aerobic exercise (along with increased Body Mass Index) is a risk factor for the development of CTS and should be addressed. Overuse of legal drugs (e.g., caffeine, nicotine, alcohol) can contribute to CTS and should therefore be reduced. Most individuals with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) respond to conservative treatment, The local corticosteroid injection may be considered in those cases that show poor improvement with the conservative treatment ( although injection rarely is used in practice).