Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Last updated Thursday, February 10, 2005
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Figure 1 - Pressure on the median nerve may cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the shaded areas AboutWhat is carpal tunnel syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition that can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the fingers and thumb.
Specifically, carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of the
median nerve located in the wrist (see figure 1). This nerve supplies
feeling to the thumb, index, middle and ring finger. The carpal tunnel
is a well defined space in the palm at the wrist. The two walls of this
anatomical tunnel are formed by bones that support the wrist. The roof
of the tunnel is the thick transverse carpal ligament. Several tendons
and the median nerve pass through this tunnel. Space in the tunnel
decreases when tendons swell or the ligament thickens. Pressure inside
the tunnel increases and restricts blood flow to the nerve. The
pressure is most noticeable when the wrist is fully extended or flexed.
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