Carpal Tunnel Symptoms:

Carpal Tunnel Symptoms cannot be identified easily as they usually grow gradually over weeks and months and in some cases, it may take some years to show up. The first Carpal Tunnel Symptoms may be pain in the wrist and hand or numbness and tingling of the fingers. Patients of Carpal Tunnel Syndrone may also experience a sense of weakness and a tendency to drop things especially small things.

They may experience the lost of heat and cold sensation to their hands or even feel that their hands are swollen though there is no visible swelling. The hand not only can experience the Carpal Tunnel Symptoms when the hand is being used for work but also when it is taking rest.

In fact, the Carpal Tunnel Syndrone may be distinguished from similar conditions by pain occurring at night after going to bed. In some cases, work associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms first occur outside of work, for these reason patients may fail to associate the symptoms with work associated activity.

Anyone who is experiencing the recurrent or persistent pain, numbness and tingling, or weakness of the hand should consult a physician for a diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrone.

There are about 25% of patients who are having work associated repetitive stress disorders, which show similar symptoms as that of Carpal Tunnel Symptoms. A definitive diagnosis is often difficult to find. Theses disorders requires treatments similar to those that are used for treating CTS: rest, immobilization, steroid injections, and even surgery if the non-surgical methods are unsuccessful.

Repetitive work causes pressure on the median nerve in the locations other than the wrist and can also affect other nerves in the arm and hand. The branch of the median nerve that runs through the palm of the hand can be damaged directly by repeated pounding or by the use of certain tools that requires a strong grip using the palm, for example needle-nosed pliers. The median nerve can also be pinched up in the forearm.

The ulnar nerve, which supplies sensation to the ring and little fingers, can also become trapped like the median nerve as a result of repetitive stress, with subsequent loss of sensation in these fingers and the outer half of the palm. This condition, known as ulnar tunnel syndrome. It can be a separate disorder or appear with Carpal Tunnel Syndrone. In the latter case, release surgery for CTS usually also relieves the ulnar nerve entrapment. The ulnar nerve can also be affected at the elbow.

Tenosynovitis, which means swelling of the tendon sheath in the hands and fingers, is also a repetitive stress injury and can effect various parts of the hand and fingers. One or more fingers may experience pain and stiff, especially in the morning when you wake up from bed and even the wrist may be swollen. When a tendon thickens, leaving the finger in a bent position, which is known as Trigger finger also called as snapping finger. This Trigger finger is a common complication of rheumatoid arthritis, which may even occur in diabetes or for some other unknown causes. De Quervain's disease involves tenosynovitis at the base of the thumb. These disorders are often present with Carpal Tunnel Syndrone.

The nerves in the neck when pinched may also cause weakness in the hands. The thoracic outlet syndrome caused by compression of nerves and blood vessels running down the neck into the arm. This condition can cause symptoms, which are very similar to that of CTS. This compression occurs at the first rib in the front of the shoulder. The thoracic outlet syndrome can be diagnosed by detecting reducing blood flow in the arm as the patient raises the affected hand and turns his or her head toward the opposite side. Although the condition is not frequent, a correct diagnosis technique is important to differentiate it from CTS. Treatments, which are used for thoracic outlet syndrome, are useless for treating carpal tunnel syndrome.

Arthritic conditions like the rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and osteoarthritis, can cause pain in the hands and fingers.

Raynaud's phenomenon patients experience numbness and tingling or pain in the fingers of one or both hands. This Raynaud’s phenomenon usually brought on by cold or stress and is treated with warmth or, in severe cases, medications that may open blood vessels. People with this problem, are actually at higher risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and there may be some relationship between the Raynaud’s phenomenon and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.