Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 8/25/2009

Question
I have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel to start with but then they decided i have arthritis in my wrists, especially at the base of my thumbs. They are very painful (left is significantly worse than right), but along with my thumbs i sometimes get numbness in my wrists and fingers. Would like your opinion and what i can do to treat them?

Answer
Carpal tunnel syndrome presents with pain, numbness and tingling to the index finger and half of the middle finger only...that is the distribution of the median nerve.  Problems at the base of the thumb can be arthritis, tendonitis, or impingement on the sensory branch of the radial nerve.  I would suggest you find a chiropractor that also works on extremities.  There are specialized tests that can be done to assess the actual condition, and treatments that can be done non surgically.