Does this indicate that i may have carpal tunnel syndrome?

My wrist has been aching and getting cold lately, usually at night, sometimes it feels like it's stiff. I do type alot, but i'm still very young. Is it possible that i have carpal tunnel syndrome?

usually the syptoms are numbness to the wrist and hand

Yes, it doesn't matter how old you are I know of 2 people both in their early 20's who have it. One got the surgery and is doing better but if you work with your hands you are at risk. I would get it checked out.

Pain can be a part of it, but not always. A numb feeling in the wrists and fingers can also be a sign. Age isn't a factor of CTS. They sell supports for your wrists for this. Problem is, CTS won't go away unless you stop doing what causes it. If you're using a computer keyboard you might want to try a different style. Microsoft's "wave" is what I use.

yes it is possible you might have CTS, but symptoms include numbness on first, second and third finger. it affects your sensation and you might usually feel weakness on gripping things and might usually observed dropping of objects. perhaps you might consider to thinks it is arthritis because you say it gets stiff,there were no symptoms stated such as stiffness in carapal tunnel syndrome
overview of Carapal Tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers (although not the little finger), as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move. The carpal tunnel - a narrow, rigid passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand 戮 houses the median nerve and tendons. Sometimes, thickening from irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed. The result may be pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. Although painful sensations may indicate other conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common and widely known of the entrapment neuropathies in which the body's peripheral nerves are compressed or traumatized

Symptoms usually start gradually, with frequent burning, tingling, or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers. Some carpal tunnel sufferers say their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent. The symptoms often first appear in one or both hands during the night, since many people sleep with flexed wrists. A person with carpal tunnel syndrome may wake up feeling the need to "shake out" the hand or wrist. As symptoms worsen, people might feel tingling during the day. Decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In chronic and/or untreated cases, the muscles at the base of the thumb may waste away. Some people are unable to tell between hot and cold by touch.

What are the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome?



Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition - the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. Other contributing factors include trauma or injury to the wrist that cause swelling, such as sprain or fracture; overactivity of the pituitary gland; hypothyroidism; rheumatoid arthritis; mechanical problems in the wrist joint; work stress; repeated use of vibrating hand tools; 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.

There is little clinical data to prove whether repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist during work or leisure activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or other daily activities can result in repetitive motion disorders such as bursitis and tendonitis. Writer's cramp - a condition in which a lack of fine motor skill coordination and ache and pressure in the fingers, wrist, or forearm is brought on by repetitive activity - is not a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome.

I've had CTS and I'm also a bodyworker. Some things I've learned:

- computer keyboards (ESPECIALLY laptops) put the wrists in an ideal position to develop CTS (use a ergo keyboard or email me for a link to a split one)

- stretching is vital to recovery. I highly recommend the book "Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" by Sharon Butler

- alter what you are doing that is causing the problem (ie, the keyboard)

- activities with the wrist in extension (if you are typing and lift the back of your hand up, that is extension) versus in flexion put far more pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel

- deep-tissue bodywork can greatly speed your recovery