Causes of Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome
Although some people might believe that carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a relatively new condition brought about by extensive hours of computer keyboarding, such belief is quite erroneous. Carpal tunnel syndrome is not new at all. Medical records that date back to the turn of the 20th century show evidence of people suffering from signs and symptoms associated with this condition.
Carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway located on the palm side of your wrist. This passageway, whose diameter is about the same as that of your thumb, is bounded by bones and ligaments on its sides. This tunnel also protects the median nerve, a main nerve innervating your hand, as well as nine tendons that enable you to bend your fingers. Any condition that causes narrowing of the tunnel may lead to the compression of the median nerve, which in turn, can result in numbness, pain, and eventually weakness of your and wrist.
Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is mainly the result of increased pressure on the median nerve. Being a complex nerve, the median nerve has a dual function – sensory and motor. It innervates your thumb, index finger, middle finger and side of your ring finger that lies next to your middle finger. Thus, the median nerve is responsible for the sensation and movement of those fingers.
The compression of the median nerve can be due to several factors that result in the reduction of the space in which the nerve lies within the carpal tunnel. The narrowing of the tunnel may be caused by the thickening or inflammation of the synovium (lining and lubricating layer) of the tendons in your carpal tunnel.
Although no exact cause can be given for the narrowing of your carpal tunnel or the swelling of the structures around it, several conditions and factors such as follows may play a key role:
* Other medical conditions
Health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders, diabetes, menopause, pregnancy-related fluid retention, deposits of amyloid (an abnormal protein substance secreted by your bone marrow cells) may cause swelling of the tendons within your carpal tunnel.
* Recurrent injury
Frequent or recurrent injury to your wrist can also lead to swelling that usually results in the compression of the median nerve at several locations. Injuries such as trauma, sprain, and fracture, and mechanical stress in the wrist joint can all cause swelling that narrows the carpal tunnel.
* Physical characteristics and congenital predisposition
The physical characteristics, particularly the size and length of the carpal tunnel are variable in many people. Your carpal tunnel may be narrower than the average, or it may be shorter because you’re petite. A few cases of CTSe may be due to compression at more than one point along the median nerve as directly influenced by the size of the tunnel.
* Repetitive and strenuous use
If done forcefully, excessively and for extensive periods without appropriate rest, repetitive flexing and extending of the tendons in your hands and wrists can likewise increase pressure on the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. However, there is very little clinical data that show evidence of the association between repetitive use and carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive and excessive use generally leads to other conditions such as bursitis, tendonitis, or writer’s cramp rather than carpal tunnel syndrome.
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