CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common and painful disorder caused by compression of the median nerve within the wrist. Pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in the thumb, index, middle and one-half of the ring finger most commonly characterize carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome patients may complain of 'pins and needles' (paresthesia) in the fingers in addition to the other symptoms. Not all of the symptoms have to occur simultaneously or affect all fingers at the same time. Symptoms may move and vary day to day, but will always affect the finger that are associated with the median nerve. If you have symptoms in both the ring and little fingers, this is NOT carpal tunnel syndrome! Too often doctors misdiagnose these symptoms as carpal tunnel syndrome when in fact they are associated with ulnar nerve distribution

When viewing the hand in the functional, palm-down position, the carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway, consisting of the transverse carpal ligament positioned on the front of the wrist and two rows of four carpal bones positioned on the back of the hand, making the carpal tunnel "ceiling". Within the small carpal tunnel runs the nine flexor tendons and the median nerve. If anything takes up extra room in the canal (e.g. inflammatory swelling, injury, increased size of tendons, collapsing tunnel, etc.), the nerve in the canal becomes compressed or 'pinched', leading to carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

HOW COMMON IS CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME? Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition, with an occurrence rate of about 3% annually in the general population. Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in women than men with the belief of wrist size as one of the predominating factors. The average age of Carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers is between 40-50 years. Although 3% of the population does not sound like much, it is about 9 million people affected each year!

WHAT CAUSES CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME? The cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve, and the median nerve is compressed due to weak extensor muscles not stabilizing he carpal bones (ceiling of carpal tunnel) and cause it to collapse inward, decreasing the size of the carpal tunnel. As the carpal tunnel collapses and the tunnel narrows, there is increased friction, resulting in irritation and swelling of the flexor tendons and median nerve. As the tendons swell, the compress the median nerve. If the extensor tendons are strengthened, they stabilize the carpal bones and keep them from collapsing into the carpal tunnel. Because of this, the tunnel stays in the open position and there is no additional pressure on the tendons and does not result in irritation and swelling and the compression of the median nerve. It is really a musculoskeletal disorder caused by a basic muscle imbalance.

Although muscle imbalance is the main cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, a variety of carpal tunnel syndrome risk factors may contribute to the development of the condition:

  • Wrist Injury
  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Thyroid Disease
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis and other Joint Disorders
  • Pregnancy
  • Menopause
  • Acromegaly
  • Overuse, work situations requiring repetitive or static wrist and finer flexion
  • Adema / Fluid Retention
  • Systemic inflammation
  • End-stage renal disease and dialysis