Can I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tremor?

Dear Ask The Doctor: My Dad and grandmother both have a tremor and mine only showed up a little two years ago when i moved to college. Since then the tremor has gotten worse and more shows up more often in the addition to weakness tingling and i have difficulty using tools and utensils to the extent that i could before these symptoms started. However recently my mother has experienced carpal tunnel in both hands and had surgery on both. I was wondering if my tremor and extent of typing and other repetitive actions might be causing me to experience carpal tunnel much sooner than would be expected?

Dear Chelsea: The tremor has a hereditary component, but the Carpal tunnel syndrome is more a “repetitive stress or overuse” kind of condition. The Essential Tremor usually begins in one upper extremity and soon affects the other; rarely extends from the upper extremity to the legs. Tremor may be intermittent initially, showing only during periods of emotional stress. Over time the tremor may become persistent. A degree of voluntary control is typical, and the tremor may be suppressed by skilled manual tasks and during sleep. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an entrapment of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel at the level of the wrist, producing often: numbness, tingling, ”pins and needles” and pain in the hand, especially the thumb , index and middle fingers. The conservative treatment includes first of all a work-site ergonomic assessment may help to reduce potentially exacerbating factors, in your case you should  modify all the postures or repetitive activities that may potentially cause CTS. The use of a wrist-hand brace that sets the wrist joint in neutral position (to be worn at nighttime for a minimum of 3-4 weeks) many off-the-shelf wrist splints seem to work well. A specific stretching/strengthening program for the hand and wrist may be useful in improving strength and dexterity. The use of anti inflammatory medications (i.e.: “Aleve”) may be of benefit if you have already any pain. Lack of aerobic exercise (along with increased Body Mass Index) is a risk factor for the development of CTS and should be addressed. Overuse of legal drugs (e.g., caffeine, nicotine, alcohol) can contribute to CTS and should therefore be reduced. Most individuals with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) respond to conservative treatment, the local corticosteroid injection may be considered in those cases that show poor improvement with the conservative treatment (although injection rarely is used in practice).