&Carpal Tunnel Syndrome=Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), or median neuropathy at the wrist, is a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to paresthesias, numbness and muscle weakness in the hand. The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation) in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, although some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well. These symptoms appear at night because people tend to flex their wrists when they sleep, which further compresses the carpal tunnel. In chronic cases, there may be wasting of the thenar muscles and weakness of palmar abduction of the thumb. Clinical assessment by history taking and physical examination can support a diagnosis of CTS. Phalen's maneuver is performed by flexing the wrist gently as far as possible, then holding this position to elicit symptoms. Tinel's sign, a classic, though less specific test, is a way to detect irritated nerves. Tinel's is performed by lightly tapping the area over the nerve to elicit a sensation of tingling or "pins and needles" in the nerve distribution.