Shear Wave Velocity of the Thenar Muscle Is Associated With the Neurophysiologic Severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Summary: Carpal tunnel syndrome can make your hand hurt, tingle, or feel weak. To figure out how bad it is, doctors usually use needles and small electrical shocks to test the nerves and muscles, which can be uncomfortable. In this study, scientists tested a new, painless way to check the thumb muscle using sound waves (ultrasound). They found that as carpal tunnel gets worse, the thumb muscle gets stiffer. While this new sound wave test isn't quite ready to replace the old tests in the doctor's office just yet, it shows great promise for helping doctors diagnose carpal tunnel more easily in the future!