Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
median nerve compression
Facts
- Requires medical diagnosis
- Main symptom: pain or numbness in the hand or arm
- Can get it from repeated motions such as: typing or strumming a guitar
- Other conditions such as: arthritis, tendonitis, and other nerve involvement, need to be ruled out first
- Can be diagnosed by physical exam, electrical testing, or MRI
- The prognosis for carpal tunnel syndrome is very good. Mild cases can respond to nonsurgical care, such as bracing and steroid injection.
Symptoms
- Pain Areas: fingers, hands, muscles, thumb, or wrist (can occur at night)
- Muscular: cramping, muscle weakness, clumsiness, loss of muscle, or muscle spasm
- Sensory: pins and needles or uncomfortable burning or tingling
- Hand: numbness and tingling
Treatments
- Stretching
- Rest
- Ice
- Wrist splints
- Cortisone injections
- If serious enough surgery
Most likely to occur in...
- older people
- women
- obesity (lack of fitness)
- specific workers
Jessica Alba
Jessica woke up one night with numbness in her arm and thought she was having a stroke. She went to the emergency room immediately and after an MRI found out she had CTS. She believes she most likely got it from running her online baby company.
Discovered
In the early 20th century, some people with CTS were diagnosed with compression of the median nerve. In 1950, twelve people were diagnosed with CTS had been reported.