Carpal tunnel syndrome causes weakness, tingling and numbing in your hand. According to WebMD, carpal tunnel occurs when there is pressure on the median nerve. Your median nerve controls your thumb’s movement and feeling and the movement of all fingers except your pinky.
The nerve runs down the length of your arm and into your wrist. The passage it goes through is the carpal tunnel.
Risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur due to repetitive motion. For example, carpal tunnel is common in jobs that include:
- Typing
- Assembling small parts
- Using manual tools
- Handling conveyor belt objects
- Styling hair
Any occupation that causes you to repeat hand motions or forces you to use awkward hand positioning can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Those who have a higher risk are women because they tend to have smaller carpal tunnels than men. Likewise, any person who has small carpal tunnels has more of a likelihood to develop the condition. If you ever fractured or dislocated your risk, your chances of developing CTS increases.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
One of the first indicators of the syndrome is your hands falling asleep more often. You may notice numbness when you wake in the morning. If you have numbness or tingling that runs to your shoulder, this is a sign. You may also experience burning or itching in your index and middle fingers, thumb and palm.
Those with carpal tunnel syndrome may complain of weakness in their hands or a shock-like sensation in their fingers.
Carpal tunnel may require a splint and rest or it could require surgical intervention.