Sometimes I wake up at night and my hands have both gone numb. When I get up and walk around, it goes away. I read a magazine article that said this could be caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. How can I tell for sure?

There are many possible causes of pain, numbness, and tingling in the wrist and hand including carpal tunnel syndrome. Pressure on the median nerve as it travels through the bones of the wrist can produce symptoms of CTS. This can occur for many reasons such as pregnancy, obesity, tumors, poor posture, neck problems, thyroid conditions, or even lack of vitamin B. The most common theory relates to tasks at work. Jobs that require the same hand or wrist motion over and over have been proposed as a cause of pressure on the nerve.

Once your physician has ruled out the possibility of a medical problem, a physical therapist can help you look at your sleep situation, posture, work habits, and other factors.