Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway surrounded by bones and ligaments on the side of the palm. When it compresses the median nerve, symptoms can include numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand and arm.
Wrist anatomy, health problems and possibly repetitive hand movements can also contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Appropriate treatment usually relieves tingling and numbness and restores wrist and hand function.


Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome begin gradually and are:

• Tingling or numbness: You may feel some tingling and numbness in your fingers or hand. You usually feel this on your thumb and index finger, middle finger, or ring finger, but you won't feel it on the little finger. You will feel like an electric current is going through these fingers.
  This feeling travels from your wrist to your arm. These symptoms usually occur while holding the steering wheel, phone, or newspaper, or they may wake you from sleep.
  Most people resort to "shaking" the hand in an attempt to get rid of this sensation. With time, the feeling of numbness may become permanent.
• Weakness: You will likely feel weak in your hand and fall off objects. This occurs as a result of hand numbness or weakness of the thumb flexors, which are controlled by the median nerve.

Please see your doctor if you have signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome that affect your performance of normal daily activities and your sleep pattern. Permanent nerve and muscle damage can occur if treatment is not received.


Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve.
The median nerve from your forearm passes through the passage in your wrist (carpal tunnel) to your hand. It is responsible for feeling the lateral space of the palm of the hand of the thumb and fingers, except for the little finger. It also sends nerve signals to move the muscles in the area of ​​origin of the thumb (motor function of the thumb).
Anything that compresses or stimulates the median nerve in the carpal tunnel area may lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. A broken wrist can cause narrowing of the carpal tunnel and nerve irritation, such as the swelling and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Often, there is no single cause for carpal tunnel syndrome. A combination of risk factors may have contributed to this condition.


There are many factors associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Although they don't cause carpal tunnel syndrome directly, they may increase the risk of median nerve irritation or damage. They include the following:

• Anatomical factors: A broken or dislocated wrist, or arthritis that distorts the shape of the bones in the wrist, can change the space inside the carpal tunnel and put pressure on the median nerve.
  People who have smaller carpal tunnels may be more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Gender: Carpal tunnel syndrome is generally more common in women. This may be due to the relatively small carpal tunnel area in women compared to men.
  The carpal tunnels in women with carpal tunnel syndrome may be smaller than the carpal tunnels in women without the condition.
• Conditions that damage nerves: Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, increase your risk of nerve damage, including damage to the median nerve.
• Inflammatory conditions: Rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions with an inflammatory component can affect the lining around your wrist tendons and put pressure on your median nerve.
• Medications: Some studies have demonstrated a link between carpal tunnel syndrome and the use of anastrozole (Arimidex), a drug used to treat breast cancer.
• Obesity: Obesity is one of the risk factors associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Body fluid change: Fluid retention may increase pressure in your carpal tunnel. Which leads to irritation of the median nerve. This condition is common during pregnancy and menopause. In general, carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy improves on its own after pregnancy.
• Other conditions: Other conditions, such as menopause, thyroid disorders, kidney failure and lymphedema, may increase your chance of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Work environment factors: Working with oscillating tools or assembly lines that require prolonged or repetitive bending of the wrist may put harmful pressure on the median nerve or worsen already damaged nerve damage, especially if the work is performed in a high-grade environment. cold heat;
  However, there is conflicting scientific evidence, and these work environment factors have not been identified as direct causes of carpal tunnel syndrome.
  Some studies have looked at whether there is a relationship between computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome. Some indications are that the problem may lie with the use of the mouse, not the keyboard. However, there isn't enough good, consistent evidence to support the idea that excessive computer use is a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome, even though it may cause another type of hand pain.

There is no proven way to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, but you can reduce stress on your hands and wrists in these ways:

• Reduce pressure and loosen grip: For example, if your work involves working on a keyboard or cash machine, try pressing the keys lightly. When writing for long periods, use a large pen, which has a soft grip and flows easily.
• Take frequent short breaks: Extend and gently stretch your hands and wrists every once in a while. Try to switch between tasks whenever possible. This is an important step if you are using a device that vibrates or requires you to use force. A few minutes every hour will make a difference.
• Pay attention to your posture: Avoid bending your wrist too hard, up or down. Keeping the wrist in a moderately relaxed position is the best position. Place the keyboard at or slightly below your elbow.
• Improve your posture: Poor posture causes your shoulders to bend forward, tighten the muscles in your neck and shoulders, and compress the nerves in your neck. This affects your wrists, fingers and hands, and will cause neck pain.
• Change your computer's pointer: Make sure your computer's pointer is comfortable and doesn't affect your wrist too hard.
• Keep your hands warm: You are more prone to sore and stiff hands when working in cold weather. If you are unable to control the temperature in your workplace, use fingerless gloves to keep your hands and wrists warm.