Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

There are three different mechanical tests that patients undergo to diagnose CTS. 

•    Phalen's maneuver- for this test the wrist is flexed as far as it can go.  The flex is held and the individual waits for the pain to start.  If pain of numbness occurs in areas where the median nerve innervates, this is a positive sign of CTS.  The faster the numbness appears the more advanced is the CTS.

•    Tinel's sign-this test is done by tapping on the skin over the carpal tunnel to see if a “pins and needles” sensation is triggered.  This type of pain is a positive test for carpal tunnel syndrome.

•    Durkan test-this type of test puts pressure on the hand where the median nerve is located.  If CTS is present there will be pain or numbness.

Other tests include nerve conduction reviews.  A compressed nerve will conduct impulses more slowly than a healthy nerve and an electromyography can measure the speed of conduction.  The most specific of these tests in the Combined Sensory Index test.