Carpal tunnel syndrome is an ailment in which the median nerve passing through the wrist is compressed. The median nerves control some of the nerves that hold the movement of the muscles in the thumb, also the median nerve is responsible to carry information to the brain about the sensation and feeling in your thumb and fingers
When the median nerve is compressed it causes pain and soreness, sensation and deadness in the suffering hand. Women are more prone to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Though the condition can affect people of all ages, irrespective of the gender, however, it’s more common in the middle aged and elderly people
Carpal tunnel syndrome brings pain, tingling and deadness either on one side or both of your hands, it happens to develop gradually, over a course of weeks. The symptoms are usually worse in the thumb, index finger and middle fingers, however, at some point it feels like your whole hand is affected. Also, you might feel pain spreading up the arm to your shoulder or neck.
The symptoms have a propensity to be worse at night and may disturb your sleep, you could also notice it most when you wake up in the morning. Hanging your hand out of bed or shaking will often reduce pain and sensation
You may not feel pain during the day, however, certain activities such as writing, typing, or doing households can aggravate the symptoms. In the case where nerves are severely squeezed you may endure pain throughout the day. Your hand may feel weak, and your fingers numb. You would lose grip and activities involve the use of fingers, such as writing becomes a challenge. The median nerve is very easily offended by pressure, in most cases there is no obvious cause to carpal tunnel syndrome. Some of the most reported causes include
- Any form of arthritis in the wrist carpal tunnel
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy
- An under active thyroid gland
- Diabetes
- Fracture of the wrist
Your chances of getting the Carpal tunnel Syndrome are greater if your job puts a heavy demand on your wrist, or if you are using vibrant tools. Not in all the cases the Carpal tunnel syndrome is progressive and can be healed without any treatment. If there is any particular underlying cause of your symptoms, then treatment may become necessary.
Simple treatments can often help, including:
- A resting splint for your wrist
- A working splint
- Medications
- Surgery