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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a strain injury commonly caused by repetitive motion, such as typing. The carpal tunnel is the narrow space at the base of your palm. Severe wrist pain or numbness can occur when the flexor tendons, which rub against the walls of the carpal tunnel as you flex your hand or fingers, become swollen and press against a major nerve. The first symptoms of this common and troublesome condition are pain and tingling in the wrists.  Even though shaking and massaging the hand helps the pain go away at first, the symptoms get progressively worse if the pain is ignored. Eventually, as the pain increases, your grip weakens and you may begin to drop things. If you notice these symptoms, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Preventing CTS Keep your wrist in a neutral position. Avoid a bent, extended, or twisted wrist position for long periods of time. Try to keep your wrists straight. Watch your grip. Use the whole hand to grasp an object instead of lifting or holding it with the thumb and index fingers. Rest your hands.  Periodically give your hands a break.  Let them rest or try to alternate easy and hard tasks, switch hands, or rotate work activities. Minimize repetition.  Try to avoid repetitive movements. Don't hold an object in the same way for extended periods of time.  Reduce speed and force.  By reducing the speed with which you do a repetitive movement, you give your wrists time to rest and recover from the effort.