Have you been experiencing some tingling and numbing sensation in your hand? Has it been happening often lately while you are at work or at home? Do you feel that the tingling and numbness are worse at night? If it is an experience that is continuously happening to you, it is likely that you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
This is a painful disease that affects the palm and most of the fingers of the hand.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? It is a compression neuropathy that happens when the median nerve gets compressed as it passes the wrist (in the carpal tunnel).
The palm of the hand, the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring fingers are involved.
Carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway within the wrist.
It is through here which the median nerve and nine flexor tendons of the hand pass.
The median nerve is commonly compressed in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
The median nerve is one of the five main nerves originating from the brachial plexus (which branches from the spinal nerve).
It is a nerve running down the arm to the hand.
It controls muscle movement in the forearm and hand and conveys sensation from part of the hand.
A muscle gets attached to a bone by a flexible, thick cord of strong tissue called a tendon.
The muscles in the forearm are responsible for finger movements.
The small bones of the thumb and the fingers are attached to the long tendons which extend trough the wrist from the muscles of the forearm.
The tendons (extensor tendons) that straighten the fingers are located on top of the hand.
The tendons (flexor tendons) that bend the fingers are located on the palm side of the hand.
When the muscles in the forearm contract, these flexor tendons pull on the small bones of the digits bending them.
When any one of these flexor tendons becomes inflamed, more narrowing of the carpal canal happens and the median nerve gets compressed.
This results in the numbness and tingling in the hand.
At night, people tend to sleep with their wrists bent.
This position causes the intense numbness that can wake one from sleep.
A wrist brace worn especially at night is advised, to keep the wrist from bending while one is asleep.
The symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome gradually increase overtime if it is not being managed properly.
If this continues, the afflicted person eventually has to cope with significant pain, and poor hand grip is the consequence resulting in frequent dropping of objects from the hand.
The persistent numbness and tingling of the hand are signs that should not be ignored.
The afflicted person has to consult with the doctor.
This is a painful disease that affects the palm and most of the fingers of the hand.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? It is a compression neuropathy that happens when the median nerve gets compressed as it passes the wrist (in the carpal tunnel).
The palm of the hand, the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring fingers are involved.
Carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway within the wrist.
It is through here which the median nerve and nine flexor tendons of the hand pass.
The median nerve is commonly compressed in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
The median nerve is one of the five main nerves originating from the brachial plexus (which branches from the spinal nerve).
It is a nerve running down the arm to the hand.
It controls muscle movement in the forearm and hand and conveys sensation from part of the hand.
A muscle gets attached to a bone by a flexible, thick cord of strong tissue called a tendon.
The muscles in the forearm are responsible for finger movements.
The small bones of the thumb and the fingers are attached to the long tendons which extend trough the wrist from the muscles of the forearm.
The tendons (extensor tendons) that straighten the fingers are located on top of the hand.
The tendons (flexor tendons) that bend the fingers are located on the palm side of the hand.
When the muscles in the forearm contract, these flexor tendons pull on the small bones of the digits bending them.
When any one of these flexor tendons becomes inflamed, more narrowing of the carpal canal happens and the median nerve gets compressed.
This results in the numbness and tingling in the hand.
At night, people tend to sleep with their wrists bent.
This position causes the intense numbness that can wake one from sleep.
A wrist brace worn especially at night is advised, to keep the wrist from bending while one is asleep.
The symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome gradually increase overtime if it is not being managed properly.
If this continues, the afflicted person eventually has to cope with significant pain, and poor hand grip is the consequence resulting in frequent dropping of objects from the hand.
The persistent numbness and tingling of the hand are signs that should not be ignored.
The afflicted person has to consult with the doctor.