Question
Hi,
  My wife is a teller at a bank and off and on rarely she comes home and says she has acute pain in her hand, the area of the thumb and forefinger.  She says she can't grasp anything like a cup or plate then.  She said the pain comes and goes and it is only in her left hand.  She already takes a lot of excedrin because of headaches and doesn't want to take more for pain.
  She is going to the doctors in a couple of weeks but if I know her doctor he will just pass it off like a lot of other things.  Can you help us with ideas?

Answer
Hi Don,

It sounds like she may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but only an examination by a qualified physician could tell you for sure.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or median neuropathy at the wrist is a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias, and muscle weakness in the hand. True carpal tunnel only elicits symptoms in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, along the median nerve distribution, but some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well. A form of compressive neuropathy, CTS is more common in women than it is in men and has a peak incidence around age 42, though it can occur at any age.

Many people that have carpal tunnel syndrome have gradually increasing symptoms over time. The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation) in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, although some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well. These symptoms appear at night because many people sleep with bent wrists which further compresses the carpal tunnel. If the median nerve is already under stress, the increased compression of the bent wrist results in numbness and tingling. Difficulty gripping and making a fist, dropping objects, and weakness are symptoms of progression. In early stages of CTS individuals often mistakenly blame the tingling and numbness on restricted blood circulation and they believe their hands are simply 揻alling asleep?


There has been much discussion as to the most effective treatment for CTS. CTS is a multi-faceted problem and can be challenging to treat from a clinician's perspective. Nevertheless, starting therapy early, when carpal tunnel is in a mild stage, is associated with improved long-term results. The patient can choose a variety of treatment options ranging from alternative medicine therapies such as Occupational therapy, chiropractic or acupuncture, to traditional allopathic approaches such as physical therapy and surgery.

I hope this helps,
Wishing you both all the best,
Margot

Excerpts from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome