**That Tingling in Your Hand Isn't Always Carpal Tunnel** Your hand starts tingling. You Google it. Every result says carpal tunnel. You buy a wrist brace. Maybe you get a cortisone injection. Maybe you're even scheduled for surgery. But here's the problem: tingling in the hand can come from at least six different places—and only one of them is actually carpal tunnel syndrome. If you treat the wrong cause, you get zero results. Worse, you might undergo an invasive procedure that never had a chance of helping. --- **What You'll Learn:** **The Anatomy: Why Hand Tingling Has Many Causes** The nerves that supply your hand don't start at your wrist—they start in your neck. From there, they travel through the scalenes, under the collarbone, through the thoracic outlet, past the elbow, through the forearm, and finally through the carpal tunnel. At every point along that path, the nerve can be compressed. Assuming the problem is at the wrist without checking everywhere else is like assuming a traffic jam is always caused by the last intersection—without checking the entire highway. **The 6 Real Causes of Hand Tingling:** 1. **Cervical Radiculopathy (The Neck)** — Compression at the nerve root from disc bulge, herniation, or degenerative changes. *Key sign: symptoms change when you move your neck.* 2. **Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (The Shoulder/Chest)** — Compression between the collarbone and first rib. Common with poor posture and forward head position. *Key sign: symptoms worsen with arms overhead or carrying heavy bags.* 3. **Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (The Elbow)** — Compression of the ulnar nerve at the "funny bone." *Key sign: tingling in ring and pinky fingers that worsens when elbow is bent.* 4. **Pronator Teres Syndrome (The Forearm)** — Compression of the median nerve in the forearm. *Key sign: forearm pain with gripping or twisting motions.* 5. **Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (The Wrist)** — Compression at the carpal tunnel. *Key sign: symptoms isolated to hand (thumb, index, middle finger), worse at night, no pinky involvement.* 6. **Double Crush Syndrome (Multiple Sites)** — Compression at two or more points along the nerve pathway. *This is why carpal tunnel surgery sometimes "fails"—only half the problem was addressed.* **Consequences of Wrong Diagnosis:** - Failed conservative treatment (braces, stretches that don't help) - Unnecessary cortisone injections at the wrong location - Failed surgery (procedure at wrist when problem is in neck) - Progressive nerve damage while treating the wrong site **What a Proper Assessment Includes:** - Cervical spine examination—range of motion, provocative tests, neurological screening - Shoulder and thoracic outlet assessment—posture, overhead tests, compression tests - Elbow examination—cubital tunnel assessment, ulnar nerve mobility - Forearm and wrist examination—carpal tunnel tests, grip strength, sensation testing **Questions to Ask Yourself:** - Where exactly is the tingling? Which fingers? - When is it worse? At night? With certain positions? - Do you have neck pain, shoulder tension, or forearm aching? - Does changing your neck position change your hand symptoms? **Treatment Matched to Cause:** - **Cervical radiculopathy:** Spinal mobilization, postural correction, nerve gliding exercises - **Thoracic outlet syndrome:** Postural rehabilitation, scalene and pec minor release, first rib mobilization - **Cubital tunnel syndrome:** Elbow positioning, ulnar nerve glides, activity modification - **True carpal tunnel:** Wrist splinting, carpal bone mobilization, conservative or surgical release when necessary --- **Key Takeaway:** Tingling in your hand doesn't automatically mean carpal tunnel syndrome. That's one possibility out of six—and treating the wrong cause leads to failed treatments, unnecessary procedures, and prolonged suffering. Don't accept a quick label. Get a complete assessment. Treat the right thing. --- **SEO Keywords:** Burlington physiotherapy, Ontario chiropractor, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand tingling, hand numbness, nerve compression, cervical radiculopathy, thoracic outlet syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, double crush syndrome, wrist pain, nerve pathway, pinched nerve, failed carpal tunnel surgery, median nerve, ulnar nerve, neck pain hand tingling, proper diagnosis, comprehensive assessment, nerve entrapment, repetitive strain injury, office worker hand pain, computer worker injury, Dr. Nick Kuiper, Absolute Rehabilitation and Wellness, Burlington rehabilitation, Ontario wellness, GTA health, Southern Ontario healthcare, hand weakness, grip strength, numbness in fingers, wrist brace not working --- **About Absolute Rehabilitation and Wellness:** Located in Burlington, Ontario, Absolute Rehabilitation and Wellness examines the body's full suspension system. When you come in with hand tingling, we trace the entire nerve pathway from your neck to your fingertips—identifying where compression is actually occurring and ...
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