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Carpal Tunnel Introduction |
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Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome (CTS) is a painful
condition caused by compression of
the median nerve within the small
space, or carpal "tunnel," of the
wrist. The carpal tunnel is a
narrow space formed by the wrist
(carpal) bones, transverse carpal
ligament, the median nerve, and
specific tendons. Carpal
Tunnel causes numbness, weakness,
tingling, and/or burning pain in,
primarily, the first three fingers
of the hand. These symptoms
may, however, may radiate into the
thumb, hand, forearm and shoulder.
Carpal Tunnel is the most common
peripheral compression neuropathy
and repetitive stress injury (RSI)
in the United States.
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Carpal Tunnel
is most common in people who perform
repetitive tasks with their hands,
such as factory assemblers and
frequent computer users. This
repetitive movement causes
inflammation and swelling of the
soft tissues surrounding the carpal
tunnel. Inflamed tendons are the
usual culprit. They press on
the median nerve, which causes the
aforementioned numbness and pain.
Carpal tunnel
syndrome can also be the
result of an underlying joint or
bone disease (arthritis,
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid
arthritis), certain hormonal or
metabolic changes (pregnancy,
menopause, thyroid imbalance), and
changes in blood-sugar levels (type
2 diabetes). It may also
result from certain conditions and
injuries of the wrist. These
may include sprains, breaks, or
other direct trauma which causes
wrist swelling and inflammation.
Carpal Tunnel is most common in
women between the ages of 40 and 60.
According to the U.S.
National Center for Health
Statistics (1):
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Carpal tunnel
syndrome affects over 2 million
people in the United States.
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Approximately
260,000 carpal tunnel release
surgeries are performed each year,
with nearly 47 percent of these
being work-related.
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Carpal tunnel
syndrome accounts for the highest
average in number of days missed at
work, when compared to all other
work-related injuries or
illnesses.
Carpal tunnel
symptoms are often similar to
other health conditions or problems.
Carpal Tunnel sufferers may
experience some or all of the
following symptoms:
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Pain in the wrist
that radiates into the hand and
sometimes the forearm and shoulder
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Numbness, tingling,
and/or burning pain in the hand
and first three fingers
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Weakness in the
hand and difficulty making a fist.
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Pain or numbness
may be worse at night.
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Learn More About
Carpal Tunnel |
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