Review Question - QID 107682

A 40-year-old woman presents to the office complaining of new pain and numbness in both of her hands. For the past few weeks, she has noticed a numbness sensation that has occurred after long days at work that improved when she shook her hands. Now, the numbness is worse and the pain occasionally wakes her up from sleep. She has no prior medical problems and takes no medications. She has not had any prior surgeries. She does not smoke cigarettes, drinks alcohol socially, and does not use illicit drugs. She works as a secretary at a law firm. The patient's temperature is 98.6°F (37.0°C), blood pressure is 116/70 mmHg, pulse is 90/min, and respirations are 16/min. On physical exam, there are no deformities of her wrists or hands, but the pain and numbness in her volar thumb, index finger, and middle finger can be reproduced by tapping her wrists. There is no muscle wasting at the base of the thumb. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial treatment for this patient's condition?