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NBC Dr. Deanna LitesCarpal tunnel syndrome affects millions of Americans, but there is a treatment that has patients feeling better in just a matter of days.
Carol Weiss Carpal Tunnel Patient: "Writing is very difficult, extremely difficult."
For Plymouth school teacher Carol Weiss, grading papers is a tough assignment.
Carol Weiss, Carpal Tunnel Patient: "It started out with pain, lots of pain in my fingers."
Carol suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. She wears splints, which she says have helped a little.
Carol Weiss, Carpal Tunnel Patient: "There are some things I just can't do with these things on."
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition where the median nerve, a nerve that travels down the arm into the hand, becomes squeezed at the wrist.
Dr. N.R. Chandrasekar, Hand Surgeon: "In the majority of people who have these symptoms, they have numbness, pain."
Carol is having surgery she hopes will alleviate that constant pain once and for all. Hand surgeon, Doctor N R Chandrashekar, is performing a minimally invasive procedure. It will take just 15 minutes on each side and the incision is less than one inch, compared to what could be a three inch incision with traditional carpal tunnel surgery.
Dr. N.R. Chandrasekar, Hand Surgeon: "We make the incision much smaller, which is convenient for the patient, especially when you're having both hands done at the same time."
Doctor Chandrashekar says the procedure involves a complete decompression of the nerve.
Dr. N.R. Chandrasekar, Hand Surgeon: "All these tendons for the fingers got through that tunnel and it takes up a lot of space, so essentially creating more space so the nerve has more room to breathe."
This less invasive technique means less recovery time for patients.
Dr. N.R. Chandrasekar, Hand Surgeon: "Ninety-nine percent of patients have symptomatic relief within a few days after the operation and the symptoms continue to get better."
Just over a week after Carol had her carpal tunnel surgery, she tells us she is feeling great. The pain in her hands is nearly gone.
