Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition where one of the nerves (Median Nerve), is compressed at the wrist (the carpal tunnel). A nerve is a cable-like structure within the body designed to conduct nerve impulses that relay information from one part of the body to another. These impulses help you feel sensations and move your muscles. The carpal tunnel is an inelastic structure. The floor of the tunnel consists of bones (carpal bones). The roof is made up of inelastic soft tissue. Within the carpal tunnel are tendons and the nerve. Tendons are structures that transmit forces from muscle to bone to help you accomplish a movement for hand function. Any condition that decreases the cross-sectional area of the carpal tunnel or increase the carpal tunnel volume content may result in increased pressure.

You may experience tingling or numbness over your thumb and index, middle or ring fingers, but not the little finger. You might feel a sensation like an electric shock in these fingers. This sensation may travel from the wrist up the arm. These symptoms often occur while holding a steering wheel, phone or newspaper, or may wake you from sleep. You may experience weakness in the hand and drop objects. This may be due to the numbness in the hand or weakness of the thumb’s pinching muscles, which are also controlled by the median nerve.

Hand Therapy can help by providing assessment to determine whether your pins and needles or symptoms are due to CTS, thereby providing a correct and appropriate treatment. In addition, a splint or a brace can help to position the wrist to reduce pressure within the carpal tunnel whilst you sleep. Specific exercises and nerve movement techniques may help to alleviate your symptoms. Activity modification will be taught to improve activity habits and posture to reduce symptoms and prevent further strain injury from happening during hand function.