Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a neuropathy caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist. It can cause numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in the hand.

Median nerve: A nerve supplying sensation to parts of the hand and motor control to several thumb muscles. It is the nerve compressed in carpal tunnel syndrome.
Phalen maneuver: A clinical test that holds the wrists flexed to provoke symptoms associated with median-nerve compression. It may reproduce hand tingling during an examination for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Cervical radiculopathy: Nerve-root dysfunction in the neck that can cause pain, sensory changes, or weakness in an arm. It can mimic hand symptoms but originates in the cervical spine rather than the wrist.
Repetitive strain injury: Pain or tissue damage associated with repeated movements or sustained physical demands. Repetitive hand activity may aggravate symptoms, though it does not explain every case.
Paresthesia: An abnormal sensation such as tingling, prickling, or pins and needles. Median-nerve irritation commonly produces tingling in affected fingers.
Carpal tunnel: A narrow passage at the wrist formed by carpal bones and the transverse carpal ligament. The median nerve and flexor tendons pass through this confined space.
Tinel sign: Tingling elicited by tapping over a nerve, suggesting irritation or regeneration. Tapping over the wrist median nerve may trigger symptoms in affected hands.
Pronator teres syndrome: Median-nerve compression near the elbow, often causing forearm discomfort and hand sensory symptoms. It compresses the same nerve proximal to the carpal tunnel.
Pregnancy: The period during which an embryo or fetus develops in the uterus. Fluid retention during pregnancy can increase tunnel pressure and provoke temporary symptoms.
Neuropathic pain: Pain caused by a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory nervous system. Nerve compression can produce burning or aching pain beyond ordinary tissue soreness.

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