Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterised by pain, burning, tingling sensation, numbness at the wrist, palm, thumb, index, middle & adjoining half of ring finger. It is caused by entrapment of the median nerve in a tunnel, called Carpal tunnel. Entrapment is caused by the inflammation of the synovial sheath covering flexor tendons at the wrist. Pain, tingling and numbness in fingers are typically present on waking up or can wake the patient. The fingers feel swollen and intense aching is felt in the forearm.
The symptoms may appear when the patient holds a newspaper Or the steering wheel of a car or holding objects in kitchen. Permanent numbness and wasting of the thenar eminence cause clumsiness of movements. It may lead to depression. Sometimes it is seen in the third trimester of pregnancy which settles down of its own after delivery. Tests and investigations — tapping the median nerve…
