Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Last updated Thursday, February 10, 2005

Figure 1 - Pressure on the median nerve may cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the shaded areas

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What 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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