Making the Diagnosis
Your doctor will likely ask you about your symptoms to diagnose carpal tunnel
syndrome. If your whole hand feels numb and painful, pinch your little finger.
Having feeling in the little finger when the rest of the hand is numb is a sign
that there may be a median nerve problem, because the median nerve doesn't connect
to the little finger.
A doctor might tap your wrist gently with a reflex hammer in an attempt to
trigger the symptoms. Based on these tests, your doctor may tell you that you
have carpal tunnel syndrome.
There is an electronic test that provides a definitive diagnosis of a problem
with the median nerve. This is called a nerve conduction test and it
helps your doctor decide how serious the damage to the median nerve may be.