Carpal tunnel syndrome, an inflammation of the hand and wrist that can cause severe pain, affects many people. It often targets those who sit at a computer all day and who perform repetitive movements with their hands. Depending on the severity of your carpal tunnel syndrome, there can be several different things that you do to control the discomfort. Getting regular massages, treating the pain with ice, wearing braces, and more can all help to keep the symptoms at bay. However, there may come at a time that surgery is your best option to correct this issue. Here are some signs that surgery could be in your future.

Self-Care Techniques Are No Longer Helping

While there's a lot of value to exploring the numerous self-care techniques at your disposal, there may come a time when they no longer help you. For example, whereas massage can be useful for helping you to avoid the troubling symptoms of this condition, including tingling in your hands, you may notice that massages do less and less over time. Similarly, applying ice may remove the pain early on, but it may only slightly dull the pain, as the condition progresses. When you can't manage this syndrome through self-care, you may wish to explore surgery.

You Cannot Effectively Do Your Job

If your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms have progressed to the point that you cannot do your job, you potentially can't afford to wait around and see if the problem will go away. Even if you haven't fully explored each of the self-care techniques that are available to you, you may wish to speak to your doctor about getting referred to a surgeon who specializes in this type of work. Having the surgery performed in the near future will allow you to get back to work as soon as you recover.

X-Rays Show A High Degree Of Severity

While the symptoms that you experience are effective for revealing the severity of your carpal tunnel syndrome, your doctor or a specialist may also refer you to an X-ray clinic to have your wrists X-rayed. The image that follows can reveal just how serious your condition is. In some cases, your medical practitioner will recommend that you pursue surgery right away, as the symptoms may be advanced enough that you're in considerable pain, for example. Whatever the case, contact a surgeon who specializes in carpal tunnel syndrome surgeries to book a general surgery consultation.