Carpal tunnel syndrome is when there is pressure on the median nerve. When your median nerve is compressed, you will experience tingling and numbness in the arm and your hand.
If you are experiencing such discomfort already, it could be possible that you’re suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. To better understand your current condition and to be wary of warning signs, continue reading below.
Early Signs
Carpal tunnel syndrome can start off slow and gradually worsen over time. Early signs can include:
Burning
Pain
Tingling
Numbness in your fingers (you will not feel it in your pinkie, however).
Early signs typically begin at night which can be in part due to sleeping with bent wrists.
If you feel like you need to shake out your hands in the morning you may want to begin researching what is carpal tunnel syndrome. As the condition progresses you may begin to experience symptoms during the day as well.
Initially, they may come and go but over time they will progress and become more frequent.
Symptoms
There are a few main symptoms that you should look out for. The first is numbness.
You may notice that you have difficulty holding objects and they often end up falling out of your hand. This can be due to the numbness in your hand.
Other symptoms include tingling and numbness that will feel like an electric shock. You will begin to notice numbness and tingling in your hand and fingers (thumb, index, middle, and ring finger). However, the pinkie or little finger will not experience any numbness or tingling.
In addition, symptoms frequently occur when holding phones, tablets, newspapers, or a steering wheel. Over time, however, the symptoms will become worse and can become constant.
Causes
You may still be wondering what is carpal tunnel syndrome and how it is caused. The scientific reason is that there is pressure being placed on the median nerve which provides nerve signals to your hands and fingers except for the little finger.
Most commonly there is no clear reason for why carpal tunnel syndrome occurs. Associated medical conditions can include fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, and tendon inflammation.
If you experience symptoms mentioned above you should seek medical attention immediately.
Risk Factors
When asking what is carpal tunnel syndrome you should also ask what are the risk factors. There are several things that can put you at risk of suffering from carpal tunnel. Some include:
Gender
Anatomic factors
Inflammatory conditions
Nerve damaging conditions
Medications
Body fluid changes
Obesity
Some workplace factors
Need Help With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Call Academy Orthopedics
We here at Academy Orthopedics have helped countless patients with their carpal tunnel syndrome. When you find that you’ve recognized the above signs and are in need of expert help, you can trust us. We will provide a thorough examination and the necessary treatments to ensure that you do not suffer from this condition any longer.
At Academy Orthopedics, we treat each and every single patient as if they were a member of our own family.
Call us at Academy Orthopedics LLC at 770- 271-9857 or visit our contact page.