Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common medical disorders seen by doctors. And it the most common disorder of the hand. What's most alarming is the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome is increasing dramatically every year. 

Most people with early or mild stage carpal tunnel syndrome are not even aware they have it. That's why the first sign many people get that the condition has started is when their hands hurt while driving a car.

People often just pass it off and say they have “tired hands" without understanding how serious it might be a year from now. So if you have finger or hand pain, numbness, tingling (pins & needles), shooting electric shocks, weakness or clumsiness, be smart and pay attention. If the same thing happens when holding a phone, coffee cup, frying pan, or any time you grip something tightly, you should get help now.

Note that carpal tunnel syndrome can first appear as any one or all of those symptoms in the hand or fingers. Pain can manifest as different kinds of sensations, running the whole spectrum of discomfort. These include feelings like sharp or stabbing pain, stinging, burning or grinding pain. In others it might feel like aching, throbbing or a dull pain.

The sensation of pain is different from person to person. It can even change over a few weeks from one sensation of pain to another.

Pain is usually felt along with numbness or tingling. It's also often accompanied by hand weakness. In more severe carpal tunnel cases, patients begin losing grip strength and dexterity. That makes it hard to make a fist, create a pinching action, or pick up small objects like coins or keys. 

Therefore, if your hands hurt while driving, you've probably lost some grip strength, too.

The NIH is very clear that the relationship between having your hands hurt, driving & carpal tunnel is rising dramatically. In other words, the cases of carpal tunnel syndrome are increasing in frequency.

The reason for this problem showing up while driving is two-fold:

• Maintaining a grip on the steering wheel, and
• Mechanical vibration from the car

These two reasons for acquiring carpal tunnel syndrome are also seen in certain industries. For instance, workers who use power hand tool use (vibrating tools) are prone to getting carpal tunnel syndrome. So are people who spend hours gripping other types of vibrating equipment (construction workers, hair stylists, motorcycle riders, floor polishers, etc.).

Driving your car requires you to grip the steering wheel. As a general rule, gripping requires your fingers to curl. That means your flexor tendons are pulling your finger bones tightly. In fact, they do so with surprisingly great force. 

Any such gripping strains the flexor tendons. And if you're already prone to carpal tunnel syndrome (or have it) those tendons are on the verge of failing. Gripping a steering wheel merely pushes the tendons over the brink.

That’s why feeling unpleasant symptoms while gripping a steering wheel is when many people first notice they have a problem in their hands.

In addition to gripping the steering wheel, there’s another problem that driving causes. Most cars transmit small, high speed vibrations from the road and engine. It travels up and into the steering wheel and into your hands.

It's very well documented that vibration contributes to causing carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, a related condition called vibration syndrome can happen with excessive hand vibration.

So combining the gripping action plus the steering wheel vibration creates a perfect storm for making your hands hurt: driving & carpal tunnel syndrome are definitely related!

Note: Vibration damage is the reason doctors advise patients to NOT use a vibration massager to relieve symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated using a number of remedies. Most doctors advise using a combination of conservative remedies first. If they don't provide relief, then you may require surgery.

Recommended conservative treatments are over-the-counter pain relievers, rest and activity modification, stretching exercises, night bracing, and myofascial massage. When these conservative treatments fail, you can try minimally invasive treatments like steroid injections or hydrodissection of the median nerve. Carpal tunnel release surgery is reserved for the most severe cases. 

• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Drugs like naproxen, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen can help reduce inflammation and pain. 
• Rest and activity modification: Avoiding or reducing the activities that aggravate symptoms is important. You can also take frequent breaks while doing stressful hand tasks. 
• Stretching exercises: There are 4 cores stretching exercises known to be effective for carpal tunnel.
• Night bracing: Bracing your wrist in a neutral (straight) position while you sleep can reduce pressure on your median nerve.
• Myofascial release massage: This therapy targets the underlying tissues around your median nerve, and reduces pressure on the nerve. It can be performed by a therapist or with the CarpalRx.
• Steroid Injections: Your doctor can inject corticosteroids into your wrist to help reduce inflammation and pain. 
• Hydrodissection: Hydrodissection of the median nerve can free it from being trapped and restricted inside your wrist joint.
  

When conservative, nonsurgical remedies don’t work, your doctor may recommend surgery. All carpal tunnel release surgery requires cutting the transverse carpal ligament inside your wrist. This allows your wrist bones to snap apart, creating more space and thereby relieving pressure on the median nerve. There are two basic types of surgery for carpal tunnel: open vs. endoscopic. There are pros and cons to both procedures.

• Open carpal tunnel release surgery: This requires a larger incision in your palm so the doctor can visualize all of the structures. It is generally more painful.
• Endoscopic carpal tunnel release surgery: This requires one or two smaller incisions because an endoscopic camera is used for the procedure. It is generally less painful.
  

It’s most likely the reason your hands hurt driving is due to carpal tunnel syndrome, primarily due to it's high incidence rate.  And it’s also likely you had this disorder lurking the background for a long time without noticing it. But now it has probably advanced. Gripping the steering wheel combined with automotive vibration is the reason you're feeling the problem now. The gripping and vibration has caused your already damaged and inflamed tendons to get even worse. And as they worsen, symptoms come to the forefront. This is the time to do something about it before symptoms become even more severe.

• I have carpal tunnel but I have to drive long distances. What can I do to keep symptoms down?

You can do two things that make a big difference. First, do stretching exercises for your fingers and hands while driving. Second, wear driving gloves to better protect your hands.

• Stretching exercises and wearing driving gloves has not helped my carpal tunnel. What else can I do?

You likely require more aggressive therapy. This includes night bracing and myofascial release massage. Learn more here.

• Is motorcycle riding bad for carpal tunnel?

Yes, there are several factors which make motorcycle riding bad for carpal tunnel. These include needing to tightly grip the handle bars for extended periods of time, gripping and squeezing the levers, significant vibration on the handlebars, exaggerated wrist flexion and extension, and holding your hands out and elevated for prolonged periods of time.