A question patients always ask is, “What’s my carpal tunnel recovery going to feel like?” If you’re having carpal tunnel release surgery, then get the answers now. (You don’t want to ask them after the surgery!) 

We're happy to answer this question. But it’s not a simple answer. That’s because describing what your post-surgical carpal tunnel recovery is like depends on:

• Which carpal tunnel surgery procedure you have
• Whether or not surgery is on your dominant hand
• What kind of occupation you'll go back to
• Your overall health

Most doctors will be glad to generally describe what happens during your recovery time. Unfortunately, many doctors have a tendency to shy away from how you'll probably feel. 

But that's what we're going to outline here. We'll break down your carpal tunnel recovery into 4 basic phases. These are: 

• Right after the operation
• Immediately after going home
• Short-term recovery
• Long-term recovery

FIND OUT: do you have carpal tunnel? No strings attached self-test.

You will have one of two types of carpal tunnel surgery (see images below):

• Open carpal tunnel release surgery. This procedure requires a larger incision in the hand. That means more hand trauma and pain, and a longer recovery time. But the chances of complications are less.
  
  
• Endoscopic carpal tunnel release surgery. This procedure requires one or two smaller incisions in the hand. It means less hand trauma, less pain, and faster recovery time. But the chances of complications are greater.

If you were awake for the operation then you had a local anesthetic. That means as you're wheeled into the recovery room, you'll feel nothing in your hand. It will feel numb beneath the many layers of bandages. In fact, you'll probably feel a little giddy that the long-awaited surgery is finally over! 

I always see patients smiling and happy that their stressful ordeal is behind them. You’re also happy because in a couple hours you get to go home.

But if you had general anesthesia you must regain your senses first. With general anesthesia, the doctor gave you a shot of pain medicine already. So as you wake up, you feel tightness in your hand. Your hand also feels puffy and not quite normal. 

In a few minutes you fully regain your senses. In about 1-2 hours your vital signs are checked. If they look good, you can go home. You'll be discharged to somebody who can drive you home.

In my opinion, this is the most difficult phase of carpal tunnel recovery. Whether you had local or general anesthesia, you will begin to feel the post-surgical pain as you arrive home. 

The local numbing medicine wears off in about an hour. And the injected pain drug you had during general anesthesia will also start to wane. 

The pain will feel like a dull throbbing. But don’t let the pain get too bad. Follow the doctor’s instructions to manage the discomfort. The medicines you'll take at home will be prescription drugs. (Make sure you filled the pain pill prescription beforehand.) Take the pills on time to prevent pain from worsening.

To put it mildly, your first night at home will feel... well… unpleasant. It will seem like you’re always waiting (while in pain) for the right time before you can take another pain pill. 

Sleeping will be rough. But you can elevate your hand on a pillow to lessen the pain.

The first few days and nights of carpal tunnel recovery at home will be like this. Don’t do a lot of moving around because that will just make the pain worse. 

Stick to the pain medicine schedule your doctor gave you. In a couple days the pain will be much more manageable.

Then in about 7-10 days the pain seems a thousand percent better. You may only need pain pills to help you sleep.

By 10 days the pain is next to zero. This is when the bandages and stitches come off. The surgical scar will be tender or itchy. Massaging it with lotion or vitamin E oil will help. 

You can drive and do more with your hand now. But if you do too much then soreness and pain returns. 

Hand therapy and rehab begins on a regular basis now. Start therapy slowly and don’t over-do it. Patients are sometimes in a rush to restore their hands and push too hard. That causes unnecessary pain. 

Depending on the type of surgery you had (open or endoscopic), you may also go back to work during this period. Again, don’t over-do any hand activities required on the job that might stress your hand.

This recovery phase usually lasts another 3-4 weeks. 

After about a month, your carpal tunnel recovery period begins to normalize. This starts the "long term" recovery phase. Pain has basically gone. But you may have tenderness around the scar site. Of course, bumping the wound or over-doing therapy or other activities will cause pain.

If all goes well, regular hand rehab will gradually strengthen your hand. It will also improve dexterity. Some patients have restored function by 6 months. Others may need therapy for 1-2 years. This depends largely which procedure you had, if it was on your dominant hand, what kind of job you'll go back to, and your overall health.

Of course, a few unlucky patients never get relief. And a few of them have long-term pain or other complications from the surgery. 

Carpal tunnel surgery has about a 50% satisfaction rate by 2 years. Some patients who had surgical failures go on to have another surgery. And about half of them fail again.

Follow the doctor’s instructions. In time your carpal tunnel recovery will come to an end.

Your carpal tunnel recovery period will be painful at the outset. But over time the pain goes away and you can begin strengthening your hand.