How Does Carpal Tunnel Surgery Affect My Ability to Type? The Answer May Surprise You!

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common nerve compression disorder of the upper extremity. For many patients, when conservative measures fail a carpal tunnel release procedure is necessary. However, many patients like yourself may wonder how is this going to affect my function after surgery? Specifically, how am I going to be able to continue typing in my job? A group of researchers published their surprising answer to that question in a recent issue of the Journal of Hand Surgery*. What they found is that typing speed returned to the preoperative baseline levels within 2 to 3 weeks after surgery. More surprising, however, is that typing speed actually increased beyond the preoperative levels after that point. In other words, carpal tunnel release surgery increases your typing speed! On further reflection, this makes sense considering that the surgery has released the stranglehold on the nerve and allowed it to breathe and function again. If you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, call our office today to schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified hand surgeons. Your ability to type well may depend on it! * JW Zumsteg, et al. The Effect of Carpal Tunnel Release on Typing Performance. J Hand Surgery 2017; 42(1):16-23.