Feeling tingly all over is only good when it is because you are all giddy and excited about something. But, when you have a tingling feeling on your hands for no apparent reason, you might have carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel is located at the base of the hand in the wrist. It is enclosed by three carpals and a transverse carpal ligament. Inside are the median nerve and nine flexor tendons. These ligaments, nerves, and tendons are responsible for the feeling and flexing of your hands and fingers. When these nerves and tendons are compressed for some reason, the feeling and functining of your hands and fingers will be affected. People whose wrists are always flexed in the activities they engage in and those whose wrists have been traumatized are highly likely to develop this condition. This condition is often work or avocation related. Other causes for such a condition would include hypothyroidism, pregnancy, and diabetes.

This condition of nerve compression does not normally happen overnight. It develops over time and gradually displays symptoms. At the onset, you can feel burning, tingling, itching, or numbness in your palms and fingers. It is usually the thumb, middle, and index fingers that are first affected. These fingers could feel swollen and numb although very little it at all can be observed in terms of actual swelling. A person feeling these symptoms would often shake out their hands to get the blood flowing back into their hands in the belief that lack of circulation is all that is causing the nerve compression. From feeling these symptoms during the nightime, the symptoms could worsen and be felt during the day. It could be increasingly difficult to maintain gripping strength and become more difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or do other tasks with your hands. When these symptoms are left untreated, your muscles at the base of your thumb could also degenerate. Temperature changes could also become more difficult to tell by touch.

A physical examination by a doctor can confirm the presence of nerve compression in the wrist. The hands and arms will likely be examined by the doctor as well as the shoulders and neck. Complaints such as tenderness, swelling, warmth, and discoloration can be examined by the doctor to diagnose the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome and to rule out any other condition that could have the same symptoms. The hand and the fingers will be flexed and tested for signs of strength and atrophy. During the tests, the doctor will observe if symptoms are felt within a certain period. Patients will also be asked to perform the movements that make them feel the symptoms. Other tests that could confirm such nerve compression would include electrodiagnostic tests where electrodes are put on the hand and the wrist and small electric shocks are sent through electrodes. The transmission speed of the impulses by the nerves is then measured. This particular electrodiagnostic test is called a nerve conduction study. Another electrodiagnostic test is the electromyography where the electrical activity in the median nerve is monitored through a fine needle inserted into the muscle and is viewed through a screen. Imaging through ultrasound could show any impairment in the movement of the median nerve.