Pillar Pain

Pain after carpal tunnel surgery is fortunately usually very mild, and it resolves either on its own or with some mild medications, Tylenol, or an anti-inflammatory medicine. There is a specific post-operative pain that some patients experience called pillar pain. It’s pain in the palm on either side of the carpal tunnel, and it affects patients who’ve had carpal tunnel surgery. Fortunately, that pain is usually transient and gets better with simple management such as avoiding forceful activities for a while and taking minor pain medication, Tylenol or anti-inflammatories. A course of physical therapy may also be helpful in alleviating pillar pain. However, pillar pain is rare and it’s not something that patients should expect to experience after an uncomplicated carpal tunnel release.