How To Recognize Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome involves pain, numbness and tingling in the hand because of pressure that is being exerted on the median nerve. Here we look at how to recognize the problem if it happens to you.

You are sitting in front of your computer at work feeling numbness or tingling in your wrist, your hand or both. This is an uncomfortable feeling that you have experienced on again, off again for months. You try to ignore it because you have so much work to do but all of the sudden it takes a turn for the worst. You feel a sharp pain originating from your wrist that shoots up into your arm. Welcome to the world of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway made up of bones and ligaments that is found at the base of the hand. This passageway is home to tendons and the median nerve. When this syndrome takes place, the channel begins to shrink. This action causes the nerve to compress thus leading to inflammation, numbness tingling and pain. Some individuals who develop this condition find that their hand feels weaker than it once was. Another result that sometimes occurs is restricted movement. Discomfort may be felt in the thumb and first two fingers. However the ring finger and the baby finger are further away from the source of the trauma and are unlikely to be affected.

The median nerve that is the focus of carpal tunnel syndrome stretches all the way from the forearm to the hand. This nerve is responsible for controlling all sensations that are transmitted to the thumb and the first three fingers. It also affects the small muscles found that make movement in the thumb and fingers possible. Any type of pressure that causes swelling and makes the tunnel a smaller size can contribute to the development of this painful medical condition.

At first you may think you are suffering from a cramp because of too much typing at a sitting for example. The symptoms of the problem can cause discomfort in your wrist or you might feel it initially in your thumb, index finger or middle finger. If the problem persists or begins to worsen then it is important that you schedule an appointment with your physician right away in order for a diagnosis to be made.

Some of the most commonly seen signs of carpal tunnel syndrome include:

* Numbness felt in one or more fingers
* Burning or tingling sensation in the wrist, forearm or travelling from the thumb to the middle finger
* Pain in the wrist that goes up into the elbows
* Swollen fingers
* Inability to distinguish between hot and cold sensations
* Experiencing a problem in holding onto small objects

If your hand feels like it is asleep and/or you suffer from pain that makes it difficult to perform your daily activities then recognize that there is a problem and seek out medical assistance. Do not give the problem the opportunity to become more debilitating.

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