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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition caused by pressure on the median nerve as it passes through a short tunnel at the wrist.

What are the symptoms?When the nerve is squeezed it can cause pain, numbness, tingling and / or weakness affecting the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. Symptoms are more common at night or early morning. It may be made worse by activities that involve gripping.

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What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?In most cases the cause is not identifiable. It can occur with pregnancy, diabetes, thyroid problems, rheumatoid arthritis, a fracture of the wrist or wrist osteoarthritis.

What is the treatment?Sometimes carpal tunnel syndrome improves without any treatment after six months.

A wrist brace splint is often advised as first active treatment. The aim of the splint is to keep the wrist straight and prevent the carpal tunnel being squeezed when you are asleep. It is common to wear the splint at night time only. This is often enough to ease symptoms.

A splint is recommended and can be purchased at your local chemist shop or online.

Not all splints will have a metal bar. If there is a metal bar, this should be placed straight at the wrist for optimum positioning.

Last reviewed: May 2018Leaflet reference: MIS18-111-CC/PIL18-0043

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