How to Check If You Have Carpal Tunnel
To check if you have carpal tunnel, look for numbness or tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, then perform three key tests: Phalen’s Test (bending the wrists forward), Tinel’s Test (tapping over the carpal tunnel), and Durkan’s Compression Test (pressing directly on the nerve). If any of these tests reproduce tingling or “electric” sensations, carpal tunnel syndrome is likely.
You can check if you have carpal tunnel by looking for numbness or tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers and performing three simple self-tests: Phalen’s Test, Tinel’s Test, and Durkan’s Compression Test. If any of these actions trigger tingling, burning, or “zapping” into your fingers, it strongly suggests median nerve compression inside the carpal tunnel.
Perform the Phalen, Tinel, and Durkan tests. If bending, tapping, or compressing the wrist produces tingling in the thumb, index, or middle fingers, carpal tunnel is likely.
Early signs include tingling, numbness, finger stiffness, and wrist aching—mostly in the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Symptoms often appear with typing or at night.
If the little finger is numb, it’s usually not carpal tunnel. CTS affects the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring finger due to the median nerve’s pathway.
Seek care if symptoms last several weeks, disturb sleep, or worsen despite home treatments. Increasing numbness or weakness needs prompt evaluation.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common causes of hand numbness and wrist pain. If you’re experiencing tingling, burning, or stiffness in your fingers, you can check for carpal tunnel at home using several simple tests that clinicians rely on every day. The key is knowing the symptoms, understanding the finger pattern involved, and using the three gold-standard self-tests for screening.
1. Identify the Classic Symptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the median nerve, which supplies sensation to your:
- Thumb
- Index finger
- Middle finger
- Half of the ring finger
Symptoms typically include:
- Tingling or numbness in the fingers above
- Wrist or palm aching
- Hand stiffness, especially in the morning
- Pain or burning that worsens with typing or gripping
- Relief when shaking the hands (“shake-out sign”)
If your little finger is numb, it is not carpal tunnel—another nerve is involved.
2. Perform the Three Most Important Self-Tests
Phalen’s Test (Wrist-Flexion Test)
This test stretches the flexor tendons and compresses the median nerve.
How to do it:
Press the backs of your hands together with your wrists fully bent forward.
Hold for 30–60 seconds.
Positive result:
Tingling, numbness, or electric sensations in the thumb, index, or middle fingers.
Tinel’s Test (Tapping Test)
This checks for irritation of the nerve as it passes under the ligament.
How to do it:
Gently tap over the center of your wrist crease using two fingers.
Positive result:
A “zap,” shock, or tingling that travels into the fingers supplied by the median nerve.
Durkan’s Compression Test (Carpal Compression Test)
This is the most sensitive self-test for carpal tunnel.
How to do it:
Use your thumb to press firmly into the middle of your wrist (just below the base of the palm). Maintain pressure for 30 seconds.
Positive result:
Reproduction of tingling or numbness into the thumb, index, and middle fingers.
3. Evaluate Your Activity Patterns
Carpal tunnel symptoms often worsen with:
- Typing or gripping
- Wrist bending
- Holding objects for long periods
- Sleeping with curled wrists
Symptoms typically improve with rest or shaking the hands.
4. Know When to Seek Confirmation
If one or more of the tests above are positive, carpal tunnel is very likely. A clinician can confirm the diagnosis with:
- A physical exam
- Ultrasound
- Nerve conduction studies
Early detection is important because untreated pressure on the median nerve can lead to permanent numbness or weakness.