How is carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosed?
The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is based on the symptoms and the distribution of hand numbness. The wrist can also be examined for swelling, warmth, tenderness, deformity, and discoloration by visual examination by a plastic surgeon. The diagnosis is strongly suggested when a nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test is abnormal. A test of muscles of the extremity, electromyogram (EMG), is sometimes performed to exclude or detect other conditions that might mimic carpal tunnel syndrome.
