While being misdiagnosed can be frustrating, it’s something that does happen in the medical field. By learning about a potential misdiagnosis of your current symptoms, you can have a well-informed, collaborative conversation with your health care provider to get the right answers. 

For example, carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common types of hand conditions, with a general population prevalence rate of up to 5%. That’s why it’s possible to chalk up most hand issues to carpal tunnel syndrome but increasing the risk of misdiagnosis. 

There are several possible conditions or injuries that can affect your hand. Two conditions that can be misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome are tendinitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Read on to learn about each one and why they are often misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. We’ll also discuss the differences that set them apart and how Lattimore Physical Therapy can help with any hand condition you may have.

What you need to know about tendinitis 

Tendinitis refers to inflammation or swelling of a tendon, which connects your muscles and bones. Tendinitis can develop in nearly any tendon of your body, but it’s commonly found in the wrist. Other common places for tendinitis include the shoulders, knees and heels.

Tendinitis in the hand affects both the wrists and fingers. It’s often caused by repetitive movements, such as typing at a computer for extended periods of time, making it a repetitive strain injury. It can also be the result of a sudden injury or decreased tendon elasticity as you age.

Tendinitis in the hand has symptoms that include:

• Pain during hand movements, such as gripping or making a fist
• Swelling
• Reduced wrist and hand range of motion
• A crackling sensation during movement
• Feeling like your fingers are “locking up”

What you need to know about rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis is an umbrella term that covers more than 100 types of joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis that can develop in the hand, along with osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disorder that often develops in small joints throughout the body, including the hands. If you’re diagnosed with RA, it means that your immune system is attacking the lining of your joints. It can also lead to joint deformity and bone erosion, potentially causing further issues.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms include:

• Joint pain
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Weakness
• Fatigue

Why tendinitis and rheumatoid arthritis can be misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm and into the hand, becomes compressed. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) shares many of the same characteristics and contributing factors as tendinitis and rheumatoid arthritis, which can lead to the latter conditions being misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. Let’s delve a bit deeper into the details.

Here are a few aspects that the conditions have in common, which may contribute to a misdiagnosis. Keep in mind that some of these points may only apply to two of the three conditions that we’re discussing.

• Similar symptoms — When you go to your doctor to discuss issues with your hands, they will ask you about your symptoms. Consistent symptoms between CTS, RA and tendinitis are pain and swelling.

• Causes — Carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis are both repetitive strain injuries. That means that people who perform repetitive hand movements on a regular basis can develop either one. Tasks that may lead to CTS or tendinitis include typing, driving or writing.

• Onset age — The average onset age tends to overlap between all three conditions. People often develop CTS and RA symptoms between 30 and 60 years old. Tendinitis is most common in adults over 40.
  
• Treatments — Most conditions that affect the wrist, hand and fingers can be treated in a similar way, including:

• Splint — It can be helpful for people with painful hand conditions to wear a splint or brace. The goal is to keep your wrist from making unnecessary movement that may worsen your symptoms. It can also reduce pressure on your affected nerves, muscles and tendons.

• Exercises — One of the most common treatment options for people with CTS, RA and tendinitis is therapeutic exercises. A physical therapist can guide you through stretches and strengthening exercises to reduce pain and improve the overall quality of the area.

• Manual therapy — To release tension that’s contributing to symptoms of any hand condition, it can be helpful to have hands-on treatment. A physical therapist can use their hands to manipulate the soft tissue to release muscle tension and improve your joint range of motion.

How to tell the difference between tendinitis, rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome

Now that we’ve talked about how the three conditions can be mistaken for one another, let’s explore the differences between the three:

• DIfferent types of pain — While all three hand conditions have pain as the main symptom, it can manifest in different ways:
  • CTS — Pain in the thumb as well as the index, middle, and ring fingers; radiating pain to shoulder and neck
  • RA — Throbbing pain that can worsen in the morning
  • Tendinitis — Dull ache

• Different symptoms — Even though all three conditions have pain and swelling as common symptoms, each condition also has symptoms that the others don’t: 
  • CTS — Shock-like sensation in fingers; burning sensation
  • RA — Fever; gradual deformities
  • Tendinitis — Popping sensation during movement

Lattimore Physical Therapy offers effective hand and wrist treatment

By being transparent and descriptive of your symptoms with your health care provider, you can reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis or tendinitis being misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. You can also always seek a second opinion.

Receiving the right diagnosis can ensure that you have the safest and most effective care possible. Even though carpal tunnel syndrome, RA and tendinitis can all benefit from similar treatments, the techniques should be as tailored as possible to your specific issues.

At Lattimore Physical Therapy, we work to pinpoint the most likely cause of your symptoms at your first visit. We’ll assess your symptoms as well as the strength, flexibility, mobility and overall function of your hand and wrist. Along with our expertise, we can use that information to determine the most likely cause of your issues.

After we’ve gotten a clearer answer about which condition you have, we will create a personalized treatment plan based on your needs, physical capabilities and physical therapy goals. The plan may include custom splint fabrication, targeted exercises and manual therapy.

Lattimore Physical Therapy is one of the best places for manual therapy because we have 30 fully certified COMTs, with one in nearly every location. A COMT is a physical therapist with a Certification in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy. 

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.