What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?
CTS is a painful disorder of the wrist and hand. The carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel formed by the bones and other tissues of your wrist. This tunnel protects your median nerve. The median nerve gives you feeling in your thumb, and index, middle and ring fingers. But when other tissues in the carpal tunnel, such as ligaments and tendons, get swollen or inflamed, they press against the median nerve. That pressure can make part of your hand hurt or feel numb.
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
Doing the same hand movements over and over can lead to CTS. It's most common in people whose jobs require pinching or gripping with the wrist held bent. People at risk include people who use computers, carpenters, grocery checkers, assembly-line workers, meat packers, musicians and mechanics.
CTS is linked to other things too. It may be caused by an injury to the wrist, such as a fracture. Or it may be caused by a disease such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid disease. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also common during the last few months of pregnancy.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
• Numbness or tingling in your hand and fingers, especially the thumb and index and middle fingers.
• Pain in your wrist, palm or forearm.
• More numbness or pain at night than during the day. The pain may be so bad it wakes you up. You may shake or rub your hand to get relief.
• More pain when you use your hand or wrist more.
• Trouble gripping objects.
• Weakness in your thumb.
Choosing a well designed ergonomic input device like the Minicute Comfort Mouse can help alleviate the symptoms of CTS.
