Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Evidence suggests that about 3% of women and 2% of men will be diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome during their lifetimes.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful disorder of the wrist and hand. The carpals (a tunnel of bones located in the wrist) house the median nerve and nine tendons which extend from the forearm into the hand. The carpal tunnel protects the median nerve, which controls some movement in the thumb and delivers sensation to the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger.

Repetitive flexing and extension of the wrist may cause a thickening of the protective sheaths that surround each of the tendons, which narrows the tunnel. When these tendons become swollen or inflamed, they press against the median nerve. Pressure from the swelling can cause numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and fingers.