Do activities like typing an email or writing a to-do list trigger hand pain? Are things slipping from your fingers? Do your hands tingle or have a hot and cold sensation? Do you wake up at night with pain in your hands?

You may have carpal tunnel syndrome.

Your median nerve and several tendons run from your forearm to your hand through the carpal tunnel, a small channel of bone and ligament in your wrist. The median nerve controls movement and sensation for your thumb and first three fingers. Putting pressure on it causes the numbness and pain known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

“Small, repetitive hand motions – such as typing, writing, texting and even playing video games – can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome,” says Randy Wolfe, OTR/L, certified hand therapist and supervisor of the Hand Therapy Program at Good Shepherd. It can also stem from injury, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, arthritis or sleeping with a bent wrist.

An electromyography (EMG) test can detect nerve function and diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome, says Wolfe. A hand therapist can teach you range-ofmotion exercises and how to modify daily activities to relieve pressure. Further treatment may include rest, wearing a wrist splint, ultrasound and hand therapy.

Sometimes, surgery is needed to release the nerve. After surgery, therapy helps reduce swelling, promote healing, improve strength and range of motion.