Medical Questions & Answers

Question: What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a form of repetitive strain injury to the wrist. It is caused by the excessive compression of the arteries, veins and nerves that supply the hand as they pass through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. This tunnel is shaped like a letter ‘D’ lying on its side and consists of an arch of small bones which is held in place by a band of fibrous tissue. If the ligaments become slack, the arch will flatten, and the nerves, arteries and tendons within the tunnel will become compressed. It is far more common in women and in those undertaking repetitive tasks or using vibrating tools and in pregnancy.
The symptoms include numbness, tingling, pain and weakness in the hand. The diagnosis is made by x-rays of the wrist, and studies to measure the rate of nerve conduction in the area confirm the diagnosis.

Question: What is Raynaud’s phenomenon? My doctor says it is the cause of hand pain.
Raynaud’s phenomenon is taught to medical students as the ‘loyal disease’ because the hands of these people go ‘red, white and blue and swell up with pride’. Unfortunately it does not end there, because the color changes and swelling of the hands is also accompanied by considerable pain.
These attacks are usually triggered by cold air, and so the condition is far commoner in the cooler states, but many find the condition so distressing that they migrate to the northern parts of Australia to escape the pain. But even in Cairns or Darwin, entering an air-conditioned building may be sufficient to trigger an attack that causes agony for many hours. Other trigger factors may be hormonal changes, stress and anxiety, exercise and some foods. The disease usually starts in the teenage years or early twenties, and may remain life-long. Fortunately, many women find that it eases after the menopause.
One in every five women will suffer from Raynaud’s phenomenon at some time in their lives. What must be detected and if possible treated in all these victims is an underlying cause for the problem. Unfortunately, frequently no specific cause can be found.

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