Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition which causes pain and weakness in the muscles of the hand.

There is a small tunnel-shaped structure in our wrist joint which houses a nerve called the median nerve. This particular nerve is very important for the functions and sensations of the muscles of the palm. Any increase in the contents of the carpal tunnel or decrease in the size of the tunnel itself can compress the nerve as it passes through the tunnel from the hand into the palm.

• The sensation of numbness and tingling especially in the thumb, index and middle fingers.
• In early stages this sensation is more like having your hands simply "falling asleep" (in fact, only pain with the absence of this sensation makes this diagnosis unlikely!!).
• With intense pain, relief is obtained by characteristically flicking or shaking the wrist
• A weakness of the muscles of the palm
• Difficulty in making a fist
• The tendency to drop things easily
• Grasping objects becomes very difficult