You’ve likely heard of someone discussing their struggle with carpal tunnel syndrome1. It’s a common condition that can affect anyone, though it is more common among women.
If you believe you have carpal tunnel syndrome, it’s crucial to have a doctor examine your hand, diagnose, and give you a treatment plan. Because this condition worsens over time, the sooner you treat it, the better.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common hand disorders that require surgery. This condition happens when there is pressure on the median nerve that goes through the carpal tunnel.
Carpal tunnel surgery helps those with the condition by a process called “carpal tunnel release,” which increases the tunnel’s size, easing the pressure on your median nerve.
After surgery, you’ll have a splint on your hand and wrist to keep you from moving as your hand recovers. You may experience some pain, though your surgeon will likely prescribe pain medication to aid you as you heal.
If you suspect you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you’ll need to get a diagnosis from a professional. From there, a physician can recommend treatments or surgery to alleviate your symptoms.
Five symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
Here are the five primary symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Numbness
Those with carpal tunnel syndrome often note that they suddenly drop items out of their hands on accident due to numbness. For some individuals, the numbness may travel to the wrist or up through the arm.
The numbness can be highly frustrating, especially if you have a job where you frequently need to hold or move things. However, it can interfere with just about anyone’s lifestyle.
Tingling
You may notice tingling sensations in your hand that feel like pins and needles. Because of the median nerve’s location, you may feel it on any of your fingers aside from your pinky.
Some individuals shake their hands to try to release the uncomfortable tingling. It can be intense enough to wake you up at night as it worsens.
Shocking sensations
For some, the tingling in their fingers or hand feels more similar to an electric shock. You may also feel this sensation travel up your arm when it hits.
Like tingling sensations, shocking sensations can be highly irritating and make it difficult to sleep at night.
Weakness
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you may notice your fingers or hand is weaker than it once was. You may see that you’re dropping items more frequently.
The weakness often pairs with numbness, as you may not be able to gauge how tightly you’re holding onto something.
Pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome sensations can be mildly irritating for some, while others may experience downright painful symptoms. This pain is not caused by inflammation but by the compressed median nerve.
If you leave your carpal tunnel syndrome untreated, it tends to worsen and leads to permanent damage to your median nerve.
Final thoughts
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that can cause tingling, numbness, shocking sensations, weakness, or pain in the fingers and hand. Some individuals notice these sensations traveling up through the wrist and arm.
If you don’t treat it, carpal tunnel syndrome may worsen and lead to permanent median nerve damage2.
- Werner, Robert A., and Michael Andary. “Electrodiagnostic evaluation of carpal tunnel syndrome.” Muscle & nerve 44.4 (2011): 597-607. ↩︎
- Naafs, B., J. M. H. Pearson, and H. W. Wheate. “Reversal reaction: the prevention of permanent nerve damage. Comparison of short and long-term steroid treatment.” Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis 47.1 (1979): 7-12. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi