General Information About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the compression and crushing of the 'Median Nerve', which provides feeling to the thumb, index, and middle fingers, as it passes through a narrow canal of bone and ligaments in the wrist (carpal tunnel).
In people who constantly use their wrists in the same bent position (computer users, musicians, knitters), the tendons inside the tunnel swell and compress the nerve. Edema during pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis are also common causes.
Numbness in the hand that increases especially at night and wakes the person from sleep, tingling (pins and needles), the need to shake the hands for relief, and suddenly dropping objects like a glass/plate (loss of strength) are seen.
No. The median nerve does not go to the little finger. If you have numbness in your little finger, the problem is not the Carpal Tunnel (wrist), but usually nerve compression in the elbow (Cubital Tunnel).
During a doctor's examination, tapping on the wrist causes an electric shock sensation in the fingers (Tinel's sign). An EMG (Electromyography) test is performed to definitively measure the degree and severity of the nerve compression.
In the mild stage, the use of special splints that keep the wrist straight, especially at night, and a cortisone injection into the tunnel resolves the edema. If nerve damage has progressed and muscle wasting has begun, a 2 cm incision is made at the wrist under local anesthesia to cut the roof of the tunnel, surgically relieving the nerve completely.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
