Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questions!?

I've asked about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before on here, asking about some of the symptoms and things like this. I want to re-describe my situation to you!..

I am 16 years old and I am on the computer from 10-12 hours a day, and have been since about the age of 8. No, I'm not really fat or anything, but I am pale! ;-)... A few months or so ago, I got a tingling feeling on the back of my wrist. This eventually spread throughout most of my hand and wrist both. The tingling began to turn into a pain also when I would bend my hand back or attempt to pick something up (ESPECIALLY when I would try to pick something up.) I would like to know, does this pretty much sound like a common case of CTS? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Also, when I carry stuff, like groceries or something, my hand tends to fall asleep and/or become numb and begin to tingle.

You really need to get away from that computer for a while each day :-)
Your symptoms DO sound like CTS may be a factor - PLEASE go see a doctor. There are other nerve/muscle related issues that may be causing what you are experiencing. Please don't just take any YA opinion as absolute . At 16, it is really, really important to identify exactly what is causing your symptoms and ascertain what treatment is available. Don't allow this to become a chronic problem.

You sound terrific :-) I'd hate to see the world miss out on you 'cos you lived your life bent over a keyboard - get out there more often, shine your light & show 'em whatchya got!

Good luck honey!

Sounds like carpel tunnel to me. You need to have your mom take you to the doctor and you may need to wear a brace to help it. You cannot get rid of it unless you have surgery but you can control it and learn to live with it.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias, and muscle weakness in the forearm and hand.[1] A form of peripheral neuropathy, CTS is more common in women than it is in men, and, though it can occur at any age, has a peak incidence around age 50.[2] The lifetime risk for CTS is around 10% of the adult population.

I suggest that you read up more on this subject at www.mycarpaltunnel.com and they have a solution too for relief without surgery.

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.


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.
Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, perhaps because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain. Persons with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the body's nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs only in adults.

The risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not confined to people in a single industry or job, but is especially common in those performing assembly line work - manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, and meat, poultry, or fish packing. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome is three times more common among assemblers than among data-entry personnel. A 2001 study by the Mayo Clinic found heavy computer use (up to 7 hours a day) did not increase a person's risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
At the workplace, workers can do on-the-job conditioning, perform stretching exercises, take frequent rest breaks, wear splints to keep wrists straight, and use correct posture and wrist position. Wearing fingerless gloves can help keep hands warm and flexible. Workstations, tools and tool handles, and tasks can be redesigned to enable the worker's wrist to maintain a natural position during work. Jobs can be rotated among workers. Employers can develop programs in ergonomics, the process of adapting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of workers. However, research has not conclusively shown that these workplace changes prevent the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Something I've been doing for years to help support my wrist is I roll up a washcloth or small towel and secure it with a couple of rubber bands...then, I rest my wrist on the roll while working the mouse...this keeps the wrist straight and from bending. Really is comfortable, and hopefully helping me avoid Carpal Tunnel. My wrist feels fine with no pain or discomfort.

It sounds like CTS to me since I have/had it...I had the surgery and it works for the most part...I suggest getting a good CTS brace (ask your doctor) ...if that doesn't help, you can get injections to stop the tingling...and if the injections don't work, the surgery is the last resort...if you are only 16, you may want to get tested for CTS by a neurologist because of you age, many doctors are hesitant to do the surgery (which was what I ran into...I was 19 when I got the surgery) Hope this helps...

You need to have a nerve test done. If you are on the computer for this long everyday it could be a problem with your neck as well as your hands. I thought I had CTS, but it was actually nerve damage in my neck (from looking at a computer screen all the time) that was causing the numbness in my hands. I also worked on computers and felt a lot pain in my hands. That turned out to be chronic, severe tendonitis. Once I quit that job and spent six months away from the computer (difficult, I know), my hands got better. I went back to that job and occassionally had problems, but the six months rest had done wonders for the amount of healing my hands and wrists benefited from. Getting chiropractic care for my neck helped too. Good luck!