Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are caused by pressure on a median nerve
. The median nerve has dual purposes. It sends messages to both muscles and nerves. It gives feeling to the thumb and all the fingers except the pinky. When space is reduced in the carpal tunnel the median nerve has increased pressure. This pressure causes carpal tunnel syndrome and its symptoms.
There are several conditions which may cause an increase of pressure on the median nerve; rheumatoid arthritis, fluid retention, or cells which make a protein that is not normal in the bone marrow. It may also be caused by simply having a smaller carpal tunnel than average.
Many people suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms without knowing what it is that is going on. The symptoms may begin slowly and increase in intensity over time. How do you know if you are experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms? Here are some of the symptoms. This may help you decide if you need to see a doctor for this condition.
The onset of carpal tunnel syndrome usually begins with a dull ache in the wrist. This aching begins to engulf the hand and the wrist. It eventually will begin to show itself up into the forearm as well.
As carpal tunnel progresses the entire arm may experience radiating pains that go all the way from the shoulder to the palm of the hand. This pain may extend to the fingers and thumb. This pain is typically felt on the inside of the arm and hand.
Another common carpal tunnel symptom is numbness. It may feel more like a tingling sensation in your hand or fingers. Generally this numbness does not affect the pinky finger. Many times it is isolated to only the thumb and index finger. This may seem to be worse when first getting out of bed and doing common tasks. Sometimes it can be massaged our stretched out. As the syndrome progresses it may become more constant.
A third common symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome is a general weakness in the hands. It becomes more and more difficult to grip things or to pick them up. It may seem like the grip is so loosened that things are dropped much too frequently.
Seek medical attention if you have these types of symptoms. Especially talk to your doctor if they persist and are interfering with your daily routine. Without medical help there can be irreversible damage to nerves or muscles.