subject: What Causes Numbness, Pain And Tingling In Your Hand? [print this page] What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? A "syndrome" is a bunch of symptoms. Something is causing your symptoms. When you know the cause of your symptoms you can get rid of them. You can get rid of the "something" naturally in most cases.
So what causes the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The nerve that passes through your wrist (your carpal tunnel space) is the median nerve. Normally nerves don't complain...unless there is pressure on them. They DO NOT like pressure!
There is a narrow passage in your wrist (the "carpal tunnel") and the median nerve passes through this tunnel. If space becomes narrowed for one reason or another, the median nerve is pressed. The nerve causes symptoms because it doesn't like the pressure. (It hates it.)
Tendons are the ends of the muscles that attach to bones. Long tendons pass through your carpal tunnel from your finger muscles to your arm bones. These tendons take up some of the space in your carpal tunnel. There's only so much space and not much room to spare.
If you overuse the tendons they might get inflamed and swell. That can cause pressure on the median nerve. If you gain weight, that can cause less space in the tunnel, too. If you have swelling in the tissues called edema, that can also cause pressure on the median nerve.
When your median nerve is being pressed on it will complain. It may scream. What can you do to help it stop yelling?
Get rid of the "something" that is causing your symptoms and guess what? Your symptoms can go away. :-) Almost all pain is caused by something. There is a reason you have pain.
Something is causing the pressure on your median nerve--if you have true Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Sometimes other things are mistaken for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, even by doctors. Nutritional causes, trigger points, poor posture and other things can cause your symptoms. Why? Well, your carpal tunnel is attached to everything else in your body.
And, as it also turns out, by giving your body what it needs you have a really good chance to get rid of your symptoms. This is true whether you have true Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or just plain old unhappy muscles causing grief.
When you go to the doctor, he or she usually thinks that your wrist--your carpal tunnel--is where the problem is. Well, maybe. Maybe not.
Your wrist and hand are where the symptoms are--that's where you hurt--but the cause may be quite far from your wrist. Or it may be something that affects your whole body.
