page_title: Carpal tunnel syndrome
section_title: Epidemiology
hierarchical_section_title: Carpal tunnel syndrome / Epidemiology
caption_attribution_description: English: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Prevalence by Ethnicity
context_page_description: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a medical condition due to compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel. The main symptoms are pain, numbness and tingling in the thumb, index finger, middle finger and the thumb side of the ring finger. Symptoms typically start gradually and during the night. Pain may extend up the arm. Weak grip strength may occur, and after a long period of time the muscles at the base of the thumb may waste away. In more than half of cases, both hands are affected.
  Risk factors include obesity, repetitive wrist work, pregnancy, genetics, and rheumatoid arthritis. There is tentative evidence that hypothyroidism increases the risk. Diabetes mellitus is weakly associated with CTS. The use of birth control pills does not affect the risk. Types of work that are associated include computer work, work with vibrating tools and work that requires a strong grip. Diagnosis is suspected based on signs, symptoms and specific physical tests and may be confirmed with electrodiagnostic tests. If muscle wasting at the base of the thumb is present, the diagnosis is likely.
  Being physically active can decrease the risk of developing CTS.
context_section_description: Carpal tunnel syndrome is estimated to affect one out of ten people during their lifetime and is the most common nerve compression syndrome. It accounts for about 90% of all nerve compression syndromes. In the U.S., 5% of people have the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome. Caucasians have the highest risk of CTS compared with other races such as non-white South Africans. Women suffer more from CTS than men with a ratio of 3:1 between the ages of 45–60 years. Only 10% of reported cases of CTS are younger than 30 years. Increasing age is a risk factor. CTS is also common in pregnancy.
caption: Rates of carpal tunnel syndrome by ethnicity. CTS is much more common in Caucasians.
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