According to MayoClinic.com, the carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway composed of bones and ligaments located on the palm side of the wrist. Repetitive use or other medical conditions may cause the carpal tunnel to narrow and compress the median nerve. In addition, women are three times as likely as men to develop carpal tunnel, and those with a family history of carpal tunnel are at a higher risk. A patient should look for certain symptoms if he suspects he has carpal tunnel syndrome.
Numbness and Tingling
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons or AAOS states that a patient may experience numbness and tingling in the hand. Specifically, numbness and tingling will be felt in the thumb, index and long fingers. This occurs because the median nerve is compressed, which causes it to send signals of numbness and tingling to the brain.
MayoClinic.com states that these symptoms often occurs when holding a steering wheel, phone or newspaper. A patient may be able to relieve numbness and tingling by moving his wrist and fingers. If untreated, a patient may experience chronic numbness and tingling in the hands.
Pain
A patient may likely experience hand pain, states the Mayo Clinic. Pain can radiate from the wrist either up the arm to the shoulder or down into the palm or fingers. Pain is usually worse on the palm side of the forearm. This occurs because compression of the median nerve can be painful.
Because the nerve runs from the hand to the shoulder, the patient may experience pain anywhere along the nerve. Rest from activity and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs as directed may help relieve pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. If pain does not resolve with conservative treatments, surgery may be needed to relieve this symptom.
Weakness
The median nerve is also responsible for movement of the hand and fingers. Compression in the carpal tunnel can affect signals to the hand that allow it to grip or hold certain objects. MayoClinic.com states that there may be an increased tendency to drop objects.
Because a patient needs adequate hand strength to complete activities of daily living, proper diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome is recommended if this symptom is experienced. Furthermore, a delay in treatment can cause permanent nerve and muscle damage, states MayoClinic.com.
