Carpal tunnel syndrome is when the median nerve is impinged upon. The median nerve is a peripheral nerve that is responsible for sensation in the palm and fingers of the hand. The carpal tunnel is a passageway of bones and ligament at the base of the hand that houses this median nerve, which aids in bending the fingers.

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Sometimes, thickening or narrowing of the tendons in the carpal tunnel leads to the impingement of the median nerve, causing pain and numbness in the hand.

Who is at Risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Women are three times more likely to get CTS than men. This may be attributed to the fact that the carpal tunnel itself is narrower for women than it is for men. Besides this, metabolic disorders like diabetes that can affect the nerve can also put you at risk for CTS. While CTS is not restricted to your nature of job per se, it is especially more common in those who use vibrating power tools for work or are in professional assembly, such as, manufacturing, sewing, meat, poultry, or fish packing, finishing, and cleaning; CTS is more common in professional assembly workers than it is in data-entry personnel. 

What are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are markedly more at night than in the daytime. This is because we mostly sleep with our wrists bent. In this aspect, some of the symptoms include:

• Numbness, tingling, burning sensation, and pain: is the most commonly reported symptom. You may especially feel it in the thumb, index and middle fingers and parts of your palm.
• Shock-Like sensations that jolt through your thumb, index, middle or ring fingers (CTS does not affect the little finger).
• Pain or tingling felt up to the shoulder via the forearm
• Weakness or clumsiness in the hand: you will find it hard to hold some objects due to shaking or weakness in the hand. Sometimes, you may even feel the loss of proprioception (awareness of where your hands are in space).

How is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosed?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed as a combination of physical examination and specific tests. After a thorough medical history, your doctor will conduct certain physical tests.
The most common physical sign that doctors look for is the Tinsel sign. The doctor will press down or tap the median nerve on the inside of your wrist to check for numbness or tingling in your fingers. If you have this sign, then you most likely have CTS. Other physical tests include checking for a weakening of the muscles in the thumb area and tingling of fingers if the wrist is bent. The doctor will also look for atrophy of muscles below the thumb. If CTS is severe, then the muscles are visibly smaller.

The diagnostic tests for CTS include electrophysiological tests, ultrasound, X-rays, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

• Electrophysiological Tests: These tests are conducted to determine how much pressure the median nerve is under. These tests also help determine diabetic neuropathy and help rule it out for a diagnosis of CTS. Some of the electrophysiological tests are nerve conduction studies and electromyogram.
• Ultrasounds: It produces images of the dense and muscle structures in order to determine whether the median nerve is under pressure.
• X-rays: On the other hand, X-rays are performed to eliminate bone-related and other issues such as arthritis, ligament injury, or fractures.
• MRIs: MRIs are done for soft tissue imaging so as to determine whether any abnormal growth is impinging the median nerve.
• How is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treated?

Carpal tunnel syndrome can sometimes clear up in a few months, especially if you are pregnant. Non-surgical treatment includes the use of a wrist splint that can help relieve some of the pressure. Wear it at night and for at least four weeks till you feel better. Besides this,
you should restrict activities that may be causing CTS symptoms. If the splint has not worked, then visit the doctor for a steroid injection that can bring down the inflammation. However, steroid injections only alleviate symptoms and are not necessarily a cure. Surgery is considered when no other treatment modality has worked.

Living with CTS is made easier if you are more aware of what causes it!

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