The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel into the hand. It gives sensation to the thumb, index finger, long finger, and half of the ring finger. It also sends a nerve branch to control the muscles of the thumb. When the median nerve gets squeezed inside the carpal tunnel, this becomes a medical condition known as nerve entrapment. This condition decreases the size of the carpal tunnel or enlarges the tissues inside the tunnel producing the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The immobile tissue and surrounding inflammation compress the nerves, which can cause numbness or tingling and eventually weakness if the nerve is damaged severely.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common problem affecting the hand and wrist caused by overuse, or activities with repetitive motions. This syndrome has received a lot of attention in recent years because of studies that suggest occupations that require repeated use of the hands, such as typing on a computer keyboard or mouse use, can result in CTS or related problems.
Many people with CTS have gradually increasing symptoms over time. The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping, and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation) in the fingers, especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers. These symptoms appear at night because many people sleep with bent wrists, which further compresses the carpal tunnel. If the median nerve is already under stress, the increased compression of the bent wrist creates the numbness and tingling. Difficulty gripping, making a fist, dropping objects, and hand weakness are symptoms of progressive CTS.