But the pain, numbness and tingling in your hand will often return.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Fatami T, Kobayashi A, Utika T, et al.
Carpal tunnel syndrome; its natural history.
Hand Surgery. 1997; 2: 129-130.

 

 

 

 

 

¹ If the nerve damage at your wrist is severe, your symptoms are likely to get worse without treatment.

More than a third of people with carpal tunnel syndrome recover completely within six months without treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Padua L, Padua R, Aprile I, et al.
Multiperspective follow-up of untreated carpal tunnel syndrome: a multicenter study.
Neurology. 2001; 56: 1459-1466.

 

 

 

 

 

² Your symptoms are more likely to go away if you got them when you were pregnant or if you are young and you haven't had carpal tunnel syndrome for too long.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Marshall S, Tardif G, Ashworth N.
Local corticosteroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome (Cochrane review).
In: Cochrane Library. Update Software, Oxford, UK.

 

 

 

 

 

³ But your symptoms are less likely to go away without treatment if you have pain in both wrists and the damage to your nerve is more severe.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Marshall S, Tardif G, Ashworth N.
Local corticosteroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome (Cochrane review).
In: Cochrane Library. Update Software, Oxford, UK.

 

 

 

 

 

³ Most pregnant women find the symptoms go away after they've given birth, although some still have symptoms a year later.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Pazzaglia C, Caliandro P, Aprile I, et al
Multicenter study on carpal tunnel syndrome and pregnancy incidence and natural course.
Acta Neurochirurgica. 2005; 92 (supplement 1): S35-S39.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

In some people, carpal tunnel syndrome gets worse with time.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Fatami T, Kobayashi A, Utika T, et al.
Carpal tunnel syndrome; its natural history.
Hand Surgery. 1997; 2: 129-130.

 

 

 

 

 

¹ This can happen quickly, or your symptoms may stay the same for a long time. If your symptoms become severe, carpal tunnel syndrome will probably get worse faster. If you don't get treatment, your symptoms could become serious. Some people who have severe carpal tunnel syndrome permanently lose most of the use of their hand.

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