Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: What It Is, Its Symptoms, and How the Diagnosis Is Confirmed

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common compressive neuropathy in adults. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs through a narrow canal in the wrist, undergoes chronic compression.

The most characteristic symptoms are tingling and numbness in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and part of the ring finger — often worse at night. In advanced cases, there may be loss of strength and atrophy of the thenar muscles.

Diagnosis is confirmed by electroneuromyography, a study that measures the conduction velocity of the median nerve and pinpoints the exact site of compression. This information is essential for defining management — from conservative treatment to decompressive surgery.

It is important to distinguish carpal tunnel syndrome from other causes of hand numbness, such as cervical radiculopathies, polyneuropathies, and plexopathies. A neurological clinical evaluation combined with a neurophysiological study is what makes a precise diagnosis possible.