Likely Condition
Carpal tunnel Syndrome
Gender
More common in females
Age range
Usually over 30
Hand Dominance
No difference
Occupation
No proven links
Symptoms
Pins and needles in thumb, middle and ring fingers
Wake from sleep and shake hand to gain relief
Physical examination
Pressure over the front of the wrist by your doctors thumb and fingers may reproduce your symptoms, particularly if your wrist is bent forward (modified Phalen's test)
Investigations
Nerve conduction studies
Non operative treatment
Splintage
Carpal tunnel injections usually only temporary
Operative treatment
Open surgical release of the carpal tunnel
Operative time
10 minutes
Likely success
Very high
Complications
Rare, but include infection (<1%), damage to nerves (<2%), scar tenderness (5%) and failure to resolve symptoms (5%, less if pre-operative nerve conduction studies positive)