Is your hand painful due to carpal tunnel? Arthritis displays similar symptoms. So which do you have? ? Can you tell the difference between carpal tunnel & arthritis? Actually, most people can't.

In an aging population, arthritis is practically everywhere. As a result, patients ask about the differences all the time, especially how they can be sure they carpal tunnel, arthritis, or another disorder. 

This article shows you how to tell one painful condition from the other. But in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, it’s hard to distinguish it from the symptoms carpal tunnel syndrome without a thorough exam and a blood test.

• FIND OUT: do you have carpal tunnel? No strings attached self-test.

The underlying problem in carpal tunnel syndrome is that it results from nerve damage. It begins when the tendons inside the wrist joint inflame. As a consequence, the tendons swell with fluid and expand or bulge. That expansion pushes out and crushes all the other tissues around the tendons inside the wrist joint. 

One of those tissues is the median nerve. When this nerve is squeezed or compressed it causes all of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. These symptoms occur in the fingers and hand and include:

• Pain
• Numbness
• Tingling (pins & needles)
• Burning 
• Weakness

The thumb and first fingers are usually most painful. But the little finger never has symptoms. Also if pain is the primary symptom, it’s usually present even when the hand is resting.

Night time symptoms are usually much worse, especially in the beginning. They cause you to wake up to shake out a numb hand or rub painful fingers.

With carpal tunnel, hand grip strength is usually compromised. It can affect the fingers or the entire hand. Patients also may feel their hand is clumsy or awkward. They have difficulty tying shoelaces, buttoning a shirt, or picking up coins. They constantly drop things. Finally, as the condition enters the severe stage, sensitivity to hot and cold temperature lessens. 

Having swollen fingers or hand is usually not a symptom of carpal tunnel. (Arthritis, in contrast, is associated with swelling.) However, patients with carpal tunnel often report the "feeling" of swelling, even though the fingers and hand appear normal.   

Aside from sharing similar symptoms, carpal tunnel & arthritis are both "inflammatory disorders". Carpal tunnel involves inflammation deep inside the wrist. In contrast, arthritis involved inflammation in the joints.

In fact, arthritis literally t means "inflammation of the joint". It was described in ancient times and is the oldest known disease in humans.

Generally, there are two main types of arthritis most prevalent in the population: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Other forms of arthritis include psoriatic arthritis and gout. They can also affect the wrist, hands and fingers with pain.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is a “wear and tear” condition. Generally, it’s associated with aging. 

With damage to a joint’s cartilage, bones can grind against each other. This will usually produce pain, and also limit your motions. Usually it occurs in the knee and hip joint. 

Osteoarthritis symptoms include pain in the affected joint either during or after movement. Other symptoms include:

• Joint stiffness and tenderness
• Grating sensation as the joint moves
• Swelling and loss of flexibility
  

Rheumatoid arthritis is usually the disease doctors have more difficulty diagnosing. Even experienced doctors know that carpal tunnel & arthritis have similar symptoms. So they must take extra care to correctly diagnose the condition.

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the whole body. Essentially, there's a malfunction of your body's defense mechanism against foreign invaders, like bacteria. 

As a result, your body attacks your own joint tissues. Usually it affects the joints in the hands and feet. It can also cause elbow, neck and shoulder problems. 

Generally, rheumatoid arthritis results in tender, warm, stiff or swollen joints. A person with more advanced rheumatoid arthritis usually also has fatigue, fever or loss of appetite. About 40% of sufferers also have symptoms in other body parts aside from their joints. 

There is no single blood test or physical finding to confirm an RA diagnosis. But a series of blood tests, X-rays, and MRI can help pinpoint the diagnosis. 

Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated in several ways. Effective medicines include immunosuppressants, NSAID drugs, and steroids. Physical therapy, stretching exercises, heat, and lifestyle changes are also effective.

We've seen that carpal tunnel & arthritis share similar symptoms. Pain sensations in the wrist, hand or fingers are nearly identical -- especially in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis. So that's when it's most difficult to diagnose.

Usually, both conditions cause throbbing or dull pain in the joints. It occurs for most of the day. Also, both conditions give you the feeling of tenderness. These symptoms even wake you up at night. 

Both carpal tunnel & arthritis will give you pain symptoms. And in both conditions, pain medicines like NSAIDs (Advil, Aleve, Motrin and Tylenol) temporarily relieve the pain. 

As time goes on, the systemic effects of rheumatoid arthritis begin to happen. That’s when you know carpal tunnel will not cause those symptoms. They include fatigue, fever or loss of appetite. 

In contrast, carpal tunnel symptoms remain in the fingers, hand and wrist. Sometimes with carpal tunnel syndrome, the pain shoots up the arm to the elbow.

You can perform "provocative" self-tests for carpal tunnel syndrome by clicking here. They are composed of the Tinel, Phalen and Durkan tests. The results normally cannot be confused with arthritis.

Whether you have carpal tunnel, arthritis or even another disorder like tendonitis, your doctor will prescribe a treatment program that's right for you.

If you have carpal tunnel, arthritis or another inflammatory disorder, severe pain is usually one of the main symptoms. In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis it's hard to tell the difference from carpal tunnel syndrome. A self-test can usually help determine which disorder you have.

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, there are a number of non-surgical treatments which work extremely well. These include steroid shots, myofascial release massage, night bracing, and stretching exercises.

If you have arthritis, you should speak with your doctor. Depending on your type of arthritis, treatments range from various kinds of medicines, to surgery.

Knowing the difference between carpal tunnel & arthritis early on is the best way to avoid long-term suffering.