What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
On the palm side of the wrist is a narrow passage of bone and ligament, the carpal tunnel, through which the finger tendons and the median nerve run. When the tunnel narrows or the tissue inside swells and presses on the nerve, the hand tingles and loses feeling. That is carpal tunnel syndrome.
According to Korea's Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, about 160,000 people were treated for it in 2022, 73% of them women. The largest group was women in their 50s, about 44,000 people, a stage of life when hormonal changes around menopause overlap with years of repetitive wrist use such as housework.
Which kind of numbness is a warning sign?
- Affected fingers: The thumb, index and middle fingers and the thumb side of the ring finger, the area the median nerve supplies.
- Worse at night: Numbness wakes you, and shaking the hand often brings brief relief.
- Worse with the wrist bent: Driving, holding a phone or washing your hair for long periods makes it worse.
- Weakness: As it progresses, buttons get harder, you drop things, and the fleshy muscle at the base of the thumb can flatten.
If only your little finger is numb, the cause is more likely a different nerve that passes the elbow (the ulnar nerve).
Carpal tunnel self-check
If several of these apply, see a doctor. Home tests are only a guide; diagnosis is made with a nerve conduction study.
- Your thumb, index or middle finger is numb or tingly.
- Hand numbness has woken you at night.
- Shaking your hand briefly eases the numbness.
- Buttons or jar lids are harder than they used to be.
- Phalen test: Press the backs of your hands together in front of your chest with wrists bent at 90 degrees for one minute; numbness starts or worsens.
- Tinel sign: Tapping the middle of the inner wrist sends a tingle into your fingertips.
You can also check symptoms by body area in the pain self-check.
How is it different from a pinched neck nerve?
| Condition | Where it tingles or hurts | Typical features |
|---|---|---|
| Carpal tunnel syndrome | Thumb to half of the ring finger | Worse at night and with the wrist bent; no neck pain |
| Pinched neck nerve (cervical radiculopathy) | From the neck and shoulder down the arm to the hand | Arm symptoms worsen when tilting or turning the head |
| Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow | Little finger and half of the ring finger | Worse with the elbow bent for long periods |
| Trigger finger | Finger joints | Painful catching or clicking rather than numbness |
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy usually causes numbness in both hands and feet in a glove-and-stocking pattern. Both can occur together, so an examination is needed.
Who gets it?
- Women in their 40s to 60s, during pregnancy or around menopause
- People with diabetes, an underactive thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis or obesity
- People who have spent years doing forceful work with the wrist bent (hand-washing laundry, chopping, using tools)
Treatments and the evidence
| Treatment | What studies show |
|---|---|
| Night wrist splint | Holds the wrist straight to reduce night symptoms. A Cochrane review found some short-term benefit, with low-certainty evidence. Usually the first step for mild cases. |
| Steroid injection | Symptoms were milder than with placebo for one month, with improvement lasting up to three months (Cochrane). Relief often does not last. |
| Surgery (carpal tunnel release) | Cuts the ligament pressing on the nerve to widen the tunnel. Considered when muscles waste, feeling keeps declining, or non-surgical care fails. |
| Nerve gliding and other exercises | A Cochrane review found too little evidence to judge. Fine to do, but exercise alone is unlikely to fix it. |
Carpal tunnel myths: true or false?
| Claim | What the evidence shows so far |
|---|---|
| Vitamin B6 cures it | No proven benefit. High doses over long periods can actually cause peripheral neuropathy (numb hands and feet). |
| Typing causes it | Studies disagree. Forceful gripping and vibrating tools with the wrist bent appear more strongly linked. |
| Numbness means poor circulation | Carpal tunnel numbness comes from a compressed nerve, not circulation, so circulation supplements will not help. |
Everyday care
- Avoid keeping your wrist bent or extended for long; open your hands and rest them during tasks.
- Hold your phone up at eye level without bending the wrist, and keep wrists straight while sleeping.
- Cut down on wringing and twisting tasks, or use tools to do them.
See a doctor promptly if
- The muscle at the base of your thumb has visibly flattened
- Your fingers stay numb, or you keep dropping things
- Numbness spreads beyond the wrist into the arm and neck, or affects both arms and legs
Please keep in mind
- This article is based on information checked as of the date shown at the top. New research or changes in official guidelines may change the details, so please use it as a reference rather than taking it as definitive.
- For an accurate diagnosis and advice about your health, please see a doctor in person.