Nursing Interventions: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

1. Administer mild analgesics as needed.
2. Encourage the patient to express her concerns.
3. Have her perform as much self-care, as her immobility and pain allow.
4. Provide her adequate time to perform these activities at her own pace.
5. Monitor the effectiveness of analgesics and other forms of therapy used to relieve the patient’s discomfort.
6. Regularly assess the patient’s degree of physical mobility.
7. Teach the patient how to apply splint. Advise her not to make it too tight.
8. Show her how to remove splint to perform gentle range-of-motion exercises.
9. Advise the patient to occasionally exercise her hands in warm water.
10. If the patient is using a sling, tell her to move it several times a day to exercise her elbow and shoulder.
11. Review prescribed medication regimen. Emphasize that drug therapy may require 2 to 4 weeks before maximum effect is achieved.