what is the carpal tunnel?

Answer 1

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 ¾ 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.

Answer 2

It is possible to have an electroconduction test that comes up still in the normal range when a patient is symptomatic. Look at what activities you are doing that might be aggrevating this. You want your wrist in a neutral position. This is the position where your wrist is slightly bent back. If you make a fist like you are going to pound on the table, your wrist will be in a neutral position. Your fingers are little marionettes controlled by strings (tendons) that go through your carpal tunnel. In a neutral wrist position those tendons pass cleanly through the carpal tunnel. If you bend your hand back and move your fingers, then the tendons rub against the carpal tunnel. If you bend your wrist forward and move your fingers (like you're trying to tickle the inside of your elbow on the same arm), then the tendons really run against the carpal tunnel. If it helps, put a rubber band around your wrist. Then imagine a string connected from your fingertips through the rubber band to the inside of your elbow. If you bend your hand back, the strings rub against your wrist. If you bend your wrist forward, the strings rub against the rubber band. Even side-to-side bending of your wrist can make problems. I use a keyboard that is split so that my wrists don't have to bend to the side to type. Hold your hands in front of you with everything relaxed so that your index fingers almost touch. That's a natural position. Then bend your wrists outward a bit so that all your fingers are in a line like they would be on a normal keyboard. Feel the difference? Advil or Aleve will help with the swelling. Tylenol will not.

Answer 3

A passageway in the wrist through which nerves and the flexor muscles of the hands and fingers pass.


The space between the flexor retinaculum of the wrist and the carpal bones, through which the median nerve and the flexor tendons of the fingers and thumb pass

carpal tunnel
In the human wrist there is a sheath of tough connective tissue which envelopes and protects one nerve (median nerve) and tendons, which attach muscles to the wrist and hand bones. The carpal tunnel is the space between this sheath (above) and the bones (below) making up the wrist and hand (carpal bones). The term 'carpal tunnel' is also used quite commonly to refer to 'carpal tunnel syndrome' which is a condition where the median nerve is pinched within the tunnel and causes pain and/or numbness of the wrist/hand, once thought to be a result of repetitive motion such as painting or typing.

Medical/Anatomical definition
The carpal tunnel is a fibro-osseous tunnel on the palmar surface of the carpal bones which transmits a number of tendons and the median nerve from the forearm into the hand.

Surface markings are, proximally, the distal wrist crease; distally, the hook of the hamate bone.

The recurrent thenar branch of the median nerve, the motor branch to the thenar eminence, leaves the median nerve in or beyond the carpal tunnel, then curves back over the flexor retinaculum to reach the thenar eminence. It is endangered in carpal tunnel surgery if the incision over the carpal tunnel is made too far laterally (thumb side).

Boundaries
The base and walls of the carpal tunnel are a concave bony channel formed by the carpal bones.

The flexor retinaculum, or transverse carpal ligament, forms the roof of the carpal tunnel. It attaches to the scaphoid tubercle and ridge of the trapezium laterally, and to the pisiform and hook of the hamate medially.

Contents
The carpal tunnel transmits 9 tendons and one nerve:

Median nerve
Flexor digitorum superficialis contributes 4 tendons that insert on the middle phalanx of digits 2-5.
Flexor digitorum profundus contributes 4 tendons that insert on the distal phalanx of digits 2-5.
Flexor pollicis longus
From superficial to deep, the structures encountered in exposing the carpal tunnel, are:

Skin
Palmaris longus tendon merging with palmar aponeurosis
Flexor retinaculum
Flexor digitorum superficialis
Flexor pollicis longus
Flexor digitorum profundus
The median nerve is just deep to the flexor retinaculum on the lateral side.

Relevance
The carpal tunnel is important because the median nerve can be compressed in cases such as the following:

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Wrist dislocations
Fractures around the wrist

Answer 4

The Carpal Tunnel is the one that all the carpals run through.

Answer 5

The tendons from you arm muscles to your fingers run through the carpal tunnel. Put your hand flat with your forearm, bend your wrist - where it bends is the carpal tunnel.

Answer 6

It's an anatomical structure in your wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome is when there is inflammation within the tunnel which causes increased pressure on the nerve and in turn causes pain in the wrist and hand.

Answer 7

it's a tunnel that connects upper carpal with downtown carpal. I've driven through it many times

Answer 8

the carpal tunnel runs thru your wrist and up to your fingers and when you use your hands in a repetitive motion the tunnel collapses and restricts blood flow to your fingers making them go numb and tingle.

Answer 9

The carpul tunnel is the "tunnel" within your wrist that the thumb, piinter, and middle finger nerves go through.

Answer 10

It can be very painful if you keep on using your hands repeatively. I hurt both while working and tried changing jobs but the damage was done. I do wish I had waited and not had surgeries so quickly but that was the main way it was being handled. Try therapy and occupational therapy first or change whatever you are doing to hurt your wrists. Best wishes.