What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve at the level of the wrist. It commonly occurs when tissue around the wrist swell and cause compression of the nerve at the level of the wrist. Symptoms progress over months to years and it’s the most commonly diagnosed neuropathy in the upper extremity. So about 3 to 6 percent of people are diagnosed with carpal tunnel throughout their lifetime. Slightly more common in women and the median age is about 55 when you’re diagnosed with carpal tunnel. Symptoms of a carpal tunnel include numbness and tingling of the thumb, index long and part of the ring finger. Patients also get pain in their wrists that sometimes radiates up their forearm. Patients also usually complain of nighttime symptoms that wake them up several times through the night. Extremes of wrist motion cause an increase in symptoms with activities such as driving. These symptoms usually progress over months to years. With end stage disease process, patients can actually get weakness in the thumb with advanced disease.