Carpal Tunnel Syndrome vs. Tendonitis: How to Tell the Difference for Better Treatment
Have you ever felt a tingling or pins-and-needles sensation in your hands? Maybe your wrists ache after a long day, or even small tasks, like buttoning a shirt, feel harder than they should. These symptoms might not seem like much at first, but they can get worse over time. Many of us use our hands constantly—whether it’s typing, cooking, or doing repetitive tasks at work—and all that movement can take a toll.
Research shows that repetitive hand motions can increase the risk of conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects about 3-6% of adults in the U.S. Tendonitis is another common issue often caused by overusing the hands and wrists. These conditions can make everyday activities more frustrating and even impact your sleep or mental health when the pain doesn’t go away.
If you’re wondering what could be causing your wrist pain or tingling, it might be carpal tunnel syndrome—or it could be tendonitis.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when a nerve in your wrist, called the median nerve, gets squeezed. This nerve helps control feeling in your thumb, index, middle, and part of your ring finger. When it’s under pressure, it can cause pain and other problems.
What Does It Feel Like?
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, your hand might feel tingly or numb, almost like it’s “asleep.” The feeling can be bothersome enough to wake you up at night. Some people also feel weak in their hand or drop things more often because their grip isn’t as strong.
Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tingling or numbness in your thumb, index, middle, or ring finger (but not your pinky)
- Pain that can stretch up your forearm
- Weakness or trouble gripping objects
- A feeling like small shocks in your fingers
- Symptoms that are more bothersome at night
What Is Tendonitis?
Tendonitis happens when the tendons in your wrist, which connect your muscles to your bones, become swollen or irritated. This often occurs after using your hands too much or doing the same movement over and over.
What Does It Feel Like?
With tendonitis, you might feel pain and swelling in your wrist or where a tendon is irritated. The pain usually stays in one spot and gets worse when you move that part of your wrist or hand. Your wrist might also feel stiff or tender.
Symptoms of Tendonitis
- Pain in your wrist or forearm around an irritated tendon
- Swelling or redness near the sore area
- Stiffness, especially after resting for a while
- Pain when trying to move your wrist or hand
- Weakness when using the affected area
Both conditions can make simple things, like writing or lifting objects, harder to do. Knowing the symptoms can help you figure out what might be wrong and get the right help.
Why It’s Important to Know the Difference
If your wrist hurts or feels uncomfortable, finding the right treatment starts with understanding what’s causing the problem. Carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis can feel similar, but they aren’t the same. Treating one when you actually have the other might not help—and it could even make things worse. That’s why figuring out the proper diagnosis is so important for getting better.
The best way to know for sure is to see a doctor. They’ll ask about your symptoms, look at how your wrist and hands are working, and may use tests like X-rays or nerve tests to get a clear answer.
Differences Between Carpal Tunnel and Tendonitis
Here’s how they’re different:
Where the Problem Happens
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens because the median nerve in your wrist gets squeezed, causing discomfort. Tendonitis, on the other hand, occurs when the tendons, which connect muscles to bones, in your wrist or forearm become irritated or swollen.
Where You Feel Pain
With carpal tunnel syndrome, pain usually starts in the wrist and can spread into your hand, mainly affecting your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. It may also stretch up into the forearm. For tendonitis, pain tends to stay in one specific spot around the affected tendon—most commonly in the wrist or forearm.
Other Feelings You Might Notice
Carpal tunnel syndrome often brings tingling or numbness in your fingers (excluding the pinky) and can even cause shock-like sensations. Tendonitis doesn’t cause tingling, but the affected area might feel stiff, sore, or tender when touched.
When It Feels Worse
Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, such as numbness or tingling, often get worse at night, sometimes waking you up from sleep. On the other hand, tendonitis pain usually worsens during or after activities that involve repetitive wrist or hand motions.
Steps to Find Relief and Treatment
Once you’ve figured out whether you have carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis, it’s time to focus on ways to feel better. Getting the right diagnosis matters because the treatments for these conditions are different. Choosing the right treatment can ease pain, help you move better, and stop the problem from getting worse.
How to Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Rest and Avoid Repetition involves giving your wrist a break and avoiding activities that make the pain worse.
- Wrist Splinting means wearing a wrist splint, especially at night, to keep your wrist straight and reduce pressure on the nerve.
- Medication such as over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and make you feel more comfortable.
- Steroid Injections are an option where your doctor might give you a cortisone shot to reduce inflammation and ease pressure on the nerve.
- Physical Therapy helps through specific exercises that strengthen your wrist and hand muscles, making symptoms easier to manage.
- Surgery (if severe) could be recommended if other treatments don’t work. This involves cutting a ligament in your wrist to relieve pressure on the nerve and improve your symptoms.
How to Treat Tendonitis
- Rest the Area by avoiding activities that irritate the inflamed tendon, giving it time to heal.
- Ice Packs can help reduce pain and swelling when applied to the affected area several times a day.
- Compression and Elevation involve wrapping the area with a bandage and keeping it raised to help control swelling.
- Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can ease both the pain and inflammation.
- Stretching and Strengthening guided by a physical therapist helps the tendon recover and can prevent future injuries.
- Steroid Shots (if needed) may be recommended by your doctor to reduce severe swelling and pain.
- Surgery (rare) might be necessary if tendonitis doesn’t improve with other treatments, allowing the damaged tendon to be repaired.
Can Tendonitis Lead to Carpal Tunnel? Why Early Action Matters
You might be wondering if tendonitis can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. While they’re different conditions, tendonitis can sometimes add strain to your wrist, which might make carpal tunnel symptoms more likely. That’s why it’s so important to deal with these issues early.
If you need to make changes to your lifestyle or the way you work, it’s better to do that now than to face bigger health problems later. Taking steps like resting, adjusting your workspace, or being gentler on your wrists can protect your body and even help your mental health.
Every change you make, no matter how small, can help you feel better and avoid pain in the future. Your health matters, and taking care of it now will allow you to live your life more comfortably and happily. Listen to your body, make those changes, and put yourself first—you’ll be glad you did!
