Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms

Carpal tunnel syndrome affects 2 to 3 percent of the world's population and is more common in women than men. To determine whether or not you have carpal tunnel, consider the common symptoms associated with this painful disability. The pain involved with carpal tunnel varies from person to person, but it is aggravating to anyone who encounters it.

Numbness and Tingling

• You will feel a numbing sensation or a tingling "pins and needles" effect in your thumb, index, middle or ring fingers. The pinky is rarely involved. The sensation creates the desire to shake your hands to get rid of the symptoms.

Radiating Pain

• Carpal tunnel syndrome advances to pain that radiates up your arm as high as your shoulder and from your wrist down to your fingers.

Loss of Blood Flow

• A decrease in blood flow causes your hands to chill and feel cold to the touch.

Clumsiness

• The ability to grip objects is impaired with carpal tunnel syndrome and you will often pick up an object and have it slide out of your hands.

Aching

• The pain of carpal tunnel syndrome may cause you to bunch your shoulders in an effort to relieve the symptoms in your arms and hands. The result is an aching in your shoulders and neck.

Night Pain

• When your muscles are relaxed, it allows the small tunnel surrounding the affected nerve to expand. At night when your body is most relaxed, the pain of carpal tunnel is severe, often enough to wake you from a deep sleep.