When the median nerve is irritated because of swelling and misalignment in the wrist, patients can start to feel sensations of tingling or inflammation throughout the hand. It's not unusual for patients to report that they experience their grip weakening or that picking up small things isn't as simple as usual. Sometimes they can even feel the sensation of their hands becoming inflamed when their median nerve is irritated, even though there is no inflammation.

Apart from the typical questions regarding what dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome is like, patients are also puzzled as to how their syndrome came about. While some patients can remember a specific injury to the hand that appeared to trigger the tell-tale symptoms soon after, others have no idea as to why their condition developed. Research shows that some types of jobs have an increased risk of developing carpal tunnel. Some of these jobs involve using vibrating tools or using the wrists and hands over and over again at work. Carpal tunnel can also be caused by some health problems.

Carpal tunnel syndrome often begins in an individual's dominant hands, but symptoms can affect both hands. Unfortunately, many doctors try to treat the pain where it is, even though there is evidence that carpal tunnel comes from a different part of the body. It has been shown that people with carpal tunnel syndrome in their arms usually have nerve pain that starts in their spine.

This is why four out of ten expensive medical procedures that only treat the hands fail. Carpal tunnel syndrome happens more often in the dominant hand. It also affects more women than men because the average diameter of the tunnel is bigger in women.