The signs of carpal tunnel syndrome & tendinitis can be similar. Both can cause hand or finger pain, numbness, tingling, burning, aching, and weakness.

Knowing how to identify the symptoms of each condition is the first step in tackling the problem. Only then can you properly treat the disorder you actually have.

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The signs of carpal tunnel syndrome & tendonitis can be so similar that they even fool doctors. In fact, tendinitis is so similar that it's misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome 80% of the time.

Another disorder, de Quervain’s tenosynovitis is also often confused as wrist tendonitis. But de Quervain’s tenosynovitis only affects the thumb tendons.

Even though the signs of carpal tunnel syndrome & tendonitis may be similar, they are medically very different conditions. Their symptoms are similar only because they share a common factor:  tendon inflammation.

Scientists believe that either condition comes as a result of repetitively stressing your hand. Consequently, tendons inflame and swell. But the similarities between carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist tendonitis end there. 

That’s because of what causes the symptoms to appear, and how you notice them.

It's important to note that every person is different and will experience symptoms and warning signs differently. And some people can have BOTH conditions at the same time. So be familiar with the primary signs and symptoms of each disorder.

Usually this condition happens when you've repetitively strained your hands for a long time. But that’s not a rule. Scientists believe that no matter how much you stress your hand, you’re either prone to getting carpal tunnel or you’re not. 

However, it’s clear that if you have the tendency to get it, stressing your hand will bring it on. Your daily activities play a big role in your risk of getting carpal tunnel. In fact, there are certain jobs causing carpal tunnel you should know about. For instance, hair styling & carpal tunnel are a very common problem seen in a doctor's office.

You can perform a simple carpal tunnel test on yourself to determine if you have this condition. It’s highly reliable. In fact, it’s also the very same test hand specialists use in their office.

Generally, the warning signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel follow a specific pattern. As symptoms become more severe they might be completely different for you compared to somebody else.

• Usually, symptoms begin with mild numbness or tingling in the fingers or hand – but never in the little finger. Most times the thumb is worse. Sometimes pain is the first symptom you see, but it’s less common. Also, you might feel coldness or warmth in your fingers or hand.
  
  
• The signs of carpal tunnel syndrome worsen as the condition progress. Usually, tingling and numbness will wake you up at night. In fact, you feel the need to shake out your hands for relief.
  
  
• As the condition continues untreated, symptoms will come and go during the day. Pain worsens, and the numbness or tingling persists more strongly. Hands may feel clumsy or weak. It may be difficult to tie shoelaces, button a shirt, or pick up coins. You may be dropping objects. In general, with carpal tunnel, hand strength loss is inevitable. You will probably begin to lose sensations of hot and cold in your fingers.
  
  
• In more advanced stages, the signs of carpal tunnel syndrome worsen further. Symptoms will persist all day and night without subsiding. You lose most of the temperature sensations in your fingers. Moreover, the muscle at the base of your thumb flattens out (wastes away).

Wrist flexor tendonitis is actually a type of repetitive strain injury or RSI. It almost exclusively relates the activities you do with your hands. Often, it’s you job. Look for the warning signs of wrist flexor tendonitis by examining your occupation and how you use your hands. 

Tendinitis usually affects those who perform repetitive and high velocity, high force hand activities every day for long hours. Examples are using jackhammers, hair styling, gaming, clerical typing, and playing a musical instrument.

We already saw that the signs of carpal tunnel syndrome & tendonitis are similar. But with wrist tendinitis, symptoms are usually confined to the hand, wrist or forearm.

• Pain is the primary symptom. It can range from throbbing or soreness to persistent stabbing pain. 
  
  
• The pain usually is worse as you’re doing the activity, such as typing. It will normally not appear at rest.
  
  
• Only rarely will the pain seem to travel to your upper arm, shoulders, neck and back. There can be tingling, numbness, coldness, or loss of sensation in any one of these areas.
  
  
• In the fingers and hands you may see a loss of grip strength or dexterity. You may also experience low muscular endurance, weakness, and fatigue. Only on rare occasions will you experience pain or numbness as you lie in bed.

A good way to tell if you have wrist flexor tendonitis is to glide your fingers up and down your forearm tendons (palm side) from wrist to elbow. If you feel tenderness or painful nodes (especially directly on a tendon) then this is a sure sign of tendonitis. 

Wrist tendonitis is usually worse while you perform the hand activity that brought it on. By knowing this, you can avoid that activity, which gives your tendon the rest in needs. Normally, tendinitis subsides on its own with rests in a few days.

Listen to what your body is telling you. It’s important to pay attention to things going on around you that might be affecting your body. Only you can know if something isn’t normal. 

Above all, don’t ignore the warning signs of carpal tunnel syndrome & tendonitis. These are abnormal conditions, and symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. So attend to it immediately.

Recognizing the problem NOW could spell the difference between a relatively easy fix or a life of misery and chronic pain.

If you have pain, numbness or tingling in your hand or fingers, you need to know what’s causing it. The signs of carpal tunnel syndrome & tendonitis can be very similar. When you know which you have for certain, you can start treatment. Treating tendonitis is far easier than carpal tunnel syndrome. But both need attention before they worsen.