What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome wrist pain? Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors. The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are caused by compression (squashing) of the median nerve. However, exactly why it happens is unknown.

Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition - the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others.

Other factors that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome include:

trauma or injury to the wrist that cause swelling, such as sprain or fracture;
obesity;
hypothyroidism;
rheumatoid arthritis;
mechanical problems in the wrist joint;
work stress;
repeated use of vibrating hand tools (that increases the risk of CTS, as found by Keith T. Palmer) (7);
fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause; or
the development of a cyst or tumor in the canal.

In some cases no cause can be identified.(9) This makes taking measures to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome before it fully develops a very good idea.

If you are experiencing even occasional wrist pain or numbness in your hands or fingers, starting a series of exercises designed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome is a very good idea.

Exercises that can greatly reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome can take as little as 5 or 10 minutes per day. If you do some of the carpal tunnel relief exercises available here on a regular basis (even just a few times / week), you should help reduce the risk that you become one of the statistics of carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers.

NEXT: Who is at Risk for Carpal Tunnel Relief?

OR: Try the Free Carpal Tunnel Exercise Program

Bibliography

7) Keith T. et al., Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and its Relation to Occupation: a Systematic Literature Review. Occup. Med., January 2007; 57: 57 - 66.

9) http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?ArticleID=88