A numbness and tingling in the hand and arm caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist. Wrist anatomy, underlying health conditions and patterns of hand use can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome. Key symptoms are pain in the hand and arm with numbness or tingling. Treatment may include rest, ice, wrist splints, cortisone injections and surgery. The roof of the tunnel is a strong band of connective tissue called the transverse carpal ligament. Because these boundaries are very rigid, the carpal tunnel has little capacity to stretch or increase in size. The median nerve is one of the main nerves in the hand. It originates as a group of nerve roots in the neck; these roots then come together to form a single nerve in the arm. The median nerve travels down the upper arm, across the elbow, and into the forearm, then passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist on its way to the hand and fingers. It separates into several smaller nerves along the way, particularly once it reaches the palm. These nerves allow for feeling in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger (the thumb side). The median nerve also controls the muscles around the base of the thumb.
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