Hand and wrist pain symptoms are often directly blamed on carpal tunnel syndrome, though this is unlikely the only cause. ESS is one of the two disorders most often wrongly diagnosed as CTS, entailing chance of furthering its mismanagement. Here’s a deeper dive into these imposters:Here’s a deeper dive into these imposters:
Tendinitis: carpal tunnel syndrome
There are two well-known benefactions that originate from chronic low-grade inflammation: some types of cancer and heart diseases.
Tendonitis is well familiar with the wrist and hand area. This disease develops when the tendons, the important cable wires that join muscles and bones, get swollen. This inflammation can be on the tendon that bends your fingers-known as the flexor tendon or the one that opens them-known as the extensor tendon.
Symptoms that Mimic CTS: Similar to CTS, tendonitis is also going to invite a few guests to your hand party – pain, tenderness and some weakness. These typically get worse with tasks that require the use of the wrist and hand in a repetitive manner like in CTS patients.
Where Tendinitis Differs:
The differences between these twin brothers are founded in place and distribution of pain. The pain of tendonitis is thus typically more focal and experienced right at the site of the inflamed tendon. For instance, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis – a subtype of tendonitis – occurs where the tendons at the base of your thumb are affected; this puts the thumb side of your wrist under some serious pain. CTS, instead, usually invites itself to the pain and numbness party in the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring finger.
Also, there is a difference in the appearance of signs and symptoms of the diseases at different age groups. CTS at times exercises its fury at night, and people experience numbness and tingling that interferes with sleep. That is if tendinitis pain is the type that can continue ringing throughout the day waking you up at night to perform some duties.
Cervical Radiculopathy: Neck to Hand: Uncomfortable Truth
Cervical radiculopathy may sound like a very medical-sounding term; however, it just refers to the nerves in the neck that are compressed and the problems that stem from it. Your neck or cervical spine comprises of nerves that extend to your arm and hand. If a herniated disc, bone spurs, or other offenders pinched a nerve root, you get a chain reaction of pain, numbness, and weakness that goes down your arm and into your hand.
Symptoms that Mimic CTS: In a similar manner cervical radiculopathy can imitate CTS by producing hand pain, numbness or weakness. However, the pain does not end with the wrist but takes a route along the affected nerve up to the arm. Moreover, you might be accompanied by neck pains or stiffness and sometimes weak arm or shoulder; feelings that are not characteristic of CTS.
Cracking the Diagnostic Code:
Hence, when hand or wrist pain becomes a problem and affects one’s daily living, consulting a physician for proper diagnosis is of utmost importance. They will need to know your medical history and do an examination, and may need to conduct an X-ray, nerve conduction tests and etc. Such detective work helps in ascertaining that am provided with the appropriate treatment suitable to my condition. What this section means therefore is that despite the fact that CTS is often the presumed offender, a proper assessment of the situation can restore possession of the real villain behind your hand ordeal.
