People often think that if you have pain in your hands or wrists, it must be carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, this diagnosis doesn’t always hit the mark. One common condition that’s often mistaken for CTS is a disorder called ESS, which can lead to the wrong treatment if not accurately identified. Let’s take a closer look at these conditions that can be confused with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is known to cause certain cancers and heart diseases. Tendonitis is another common issue, especially in the wrist and hand region. It kicks in when the tendons, which are like cables connecting muscles to bones, get inflamed. This swelling can happen in the tendons that either flex or extend your fingers.
When it comes to symptoms that mimic CTS, tendonitis doesn’t fall far behind. It can bring pain, tenderness, and weakness, especially if you’re doing repetitive tasks with your hands and wrists—just like you would if you had CTS. However, the big difference is where you feel the pain. Tendonitis usually presents sharp pain right where the tendon is inflamed. For instance, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, a type of tendonitis, targets the tendons at the base of your thumb, making the thumb side of your wrist quite painful. In contrast, CTS usually causes pain and numbness in the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring finger.
Additionally, these conditions can show different symptoms depending on your age. CTS often acts up at night, with numbness and tingling that can disrupt sleep. Tendonitis pain, however, might persist throughout the day and wake you up at night, demanding attention.
Cervical radiculopathy might sound like a mouthful, but it’s simply about neck nerves being compressed. The nerves in your neck, which extend down to your arms and hands, can get pinched by things like herniated discs or bone spurs. This causes pain, numbness, and weakness that travel down your arm and into your hand.
Similar to CTS, cervical radiculopathy can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in your hand. But unlike CTS, it affects the nerve path up your arm, possibly accompanied by neck pain or stiffness and sometimes a weak shoulder or arm—things you wouldn’t usually see with CTS.
If you’re experiencing hand or wrist pain that’s messing with your daily life, it’s crucial to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. They’ll need to get your medical history, examine you, and might run tests like X-rays or nerve conduction exams. This investigation is key to getting you the right treatment for your condition. So even if CTS seems like the obvious culprit, a thorough check-up can reveal what’s really causing your hand troubles.
