Cynthia Weiss | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m a homebuilder and have begun experiencing numbness and tingling in my hands. Sometimes I drop things because I can’t get a good grip. A friend suggested I might have carpal tunnel syndrome. But doesn’t that mostly affect people who use computers all day? Can you explain more about the condition?
ANSWER: Working with your hands day after day can take a toll on them, causing pain, numbness and weakness. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one condition that can affect many types of occupations, including farmers, truck drivers, factory and construction workers, and others.
Carpal tunnel is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve located in the wrist. This nerve provides feeling to the thumb and the index, middle and part of the ring fingers, and also sends signals to the muscles around the base of the thumb.
Some causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include medical conditions such as arthritis, gout, diabetes, amyloidosis, infections, masses and severe wrist injuries. Other causes are environmental or workplace conditions that involve forceful and repetitive gripping, and using heavy machinery and vibrating manual tools.
The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
•Numbness and tingling in the fingers
•Swelling and discomfort of the hands and fingers
•Weakness, especially when pinching and gripping
•Dropping things
•Waking up at night to shake out the hands
•Numbness of the fingers first thing in the morning
Diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome
To determine if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, an orthopedic specialist will discuss the history of your symptoms and perform a physical examination of your hands and wrists.
Other tests may be performed or requested, including:
•Two-point discrimination test on your fingertips to identify which fingers have decreased sensation
•Tinel’s test, which is conducted by tapping the nerve in the carpal tunnel at the wrist to see…
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