Category: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome or, CTS, causes pain and/or numbness into the hand and because it’s so common, CTS is often the first and the last diagnosis a doctor makes when a patient presents with these symptoms. The purpose of this Health Update is to consider other conditions that present in a similar way and if…

The cause of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is commonly associated with repetitive motions or, working long hours with fast hand movements such as on an assembly line, food packing line, waitress work, or on a computer keyboard and mouse.  However, there are many other possible causes that are less commonly discussed such as pregnancy (caused…

There are many different exercises that can be done for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and we’ve discussed some of these in the past. To understand “why” gliding exercises are helpful, let’s review the anatomy.  There are 9 tendons that move through the narrow carpal tunnel at the wrist. This confined space is literally jammed full…

            Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS, is one of many “repetitive strain injuries” or RSI’s and it’s one of the most common work place injuries, second only to low back pain!  The term “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” was first used in 1939 and since the 1950’s, this disabling overuse injury to the hand has been one…

There are many jobs that place people at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but I bet you wouldn’t have thought of musicians.  First and most important, I don’t want to scare anyone from playing a musical instrument as many of us find music to be a very important “release mechanism” or, an escape from…

So what IS CTS?  According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (National Institutes of Health), CTS occurs as a result of the median nerve, which is located in the middle of the forearm and hand on the palm side, getting pinched or squeezed at the wrist.  This results in numbness, or tingling…

For the last few months, I’ve been waking up at night with numbness and tingling in my hand.  Lately, I’ve been waking up more often, 3-4 times a night and I’m having a hard time falling back to sleep.  When I drive, my hands fall asleep within a few minutes and I have to shake…

“When I try to thread a needle, button my shirt, or crochet, I can’t seem to feel my finger tips.  I’ve also noticed when unscrewing jars, my grip feels weak.  In fact, I almost dropped a cup of coffee the other day.  I wake up 3-4 times a night and I have to shake my…

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS, has been reported to be the most expensive of all work-related injuries, costing the average CTS patient about $30,000 in medical bills and lost work time over his or her lifetime. CTS is primarily found in adults, is 3x more frequently found in woman, and usually affects the dominant hand…

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS, is the most common of the peripheral nerve conditions where the median nerve is compressed or pinched at the wrist.  The resulting symptoms of numbness/pain in the wrist, index, third, and forth fingers, multiple sleep interruptions, frequent shaking and flicking of the hand/fingers, difficulty in gripping or pinching such as…