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What is carpal
tunnel syndrome?
Do you often feel a numbness or tingling in your hand,
especially at night? Maybe you experience clumsiness in
handling objects and sometimes you feel a pain that goes
up the arm to as high as the shoulder. These may be the
symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The median nerve travels from the forearm into your hand
through a "tunnel" in your wrist. The bottom and sides
of this tunnel are formed by wrist bones and the top of
the tunnel is covered by a strong band of connective
tissue called a ligament. This tunnel also contains nine
tendons that connect muscles to bones and bend your
fingers and thumb. These tendons are covered with a
lubricating membrane called synovium which may enlarge
and swell under some circumstances. If the swelling is
sufficient it may cause the median nerve to be pressed
up against this strong ligament which may result in
numbness, tingling in your hand, clumsiness or pain
described above.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms:
Your doctor may diagnose carpal tunnel
syndrome by the following symptoms and signs:
- numbness and tingling
in the hands, especially when these symptoms occur
at night and after use of the hands are strong signs
of carpal tunnel syndrome
- decreased feeling in
your thumb, index, and long finger
- the presence in your
hand of an electric-like shock or tingling (like
hitting your "funny bone") when your doctor taps
over the course of the median nerve at the wrist
- the reproduction of your symptoms by holding
your wrists in a bent down position for one minute
What causes carpal
tunnel syndrome?
Anything that causes
swelling, thickening or irritation of the synovial
membranes around the tendons in the carpal tunnel can
result in pressure on the median nerve.
Some common causes and
associated conditions of carpal tunnel syndrome are:
- repetitive and
forceful grasping with the hands
- repetitive bending of
the wrist
- broken or dislocated
bones in the wrist which produce swelling
- arthritis, especially
the rheumatoid type
- thyroid gland
imbalance
- sugar diabetes
- hormonal changes
associated with menopause
- pregnancy
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