Anterior Knee Pain Basal Joint Arthritis Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ... Taping the Wrist for Rough Stock Riders Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a problem involving the hand, caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist. This leads to symptoms including numbness and tingling in the hand, especially involving the thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger. There may be pain associated with CTS that can be isolated to the hand or wrist, but sometimes radiates up the arm. CTS frequently awakens people at night, and symptoms may occur with activities such as driving, writing or other actions involving significant hand use. With advanced carpal tunnel syndrome, loss of strength or muscle bulk at the base of the thumb may occur. Cause The carpal tunnel is a canal formed by bones on the back of the wrist and a ligament (transverse carpal ligament) across the palm side of the wrist. Through this tunnel travel all the tendons that bend the thumb and fingers, and the nerve (median nerve) that supplies feeling to the thumb, index finger, middle finger, part of the ring finger, and the muscles at the base of the thumb. Some people are born with small tunnels and thus are set up for pressure problems on the nerve. Hand intensive activities that lead to a tendinitis involving tendons that flex the thumb and fingers also can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome by thickening the tendon sheaths. The thickened sheaths fill up the tunnel and can apply pressure to the nerve. People with rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, diabetes, amyloidosis, renal failure and certain other medical problems are more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome. | |
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