Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Common hand and wrist problem can be prevented and treated

You wake in the night with a painful tingling sensation in your fingers — or no sensation at all.

As your condition advances, you have trouble holding the steering wheel to drive or typing on your computer keyboard. You experience weakness in your hand and begin dropping small objects.

If these signs and symptoms sounds familiar, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a very common problem. The condition is often associated with overuse of the hands and wrist and other factors.

“It’s important to get evaluated if you develop symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome to get a diagnosis and rule out any other problem,” says Lorenzo Pacelli, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Scripps Clinic Carmel Valley and Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. “Talk to your doctor if your condition is interfering with your sleep at night and your day-to-day activities.

“Carpal tunnel syndrome is not something you want to ignore because if it goes untreated for a period of time, it can cause permanent damage to the nerve and use of your hand,” Dr. Pacelli says.