Acute Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

In brief While rock climbing, a 25-year-old man felt a "pop" in his left wrist followed by immediate numbness, tingling, and pain in his left hand. Though the symptoms resolved in about 5 minutes, they recurred throughout the climb whenever the man maximally flexed his wrist. Similar symptoms woke him from sleep that night. On physical examination, Tinel's and Phalen's signs indicated acute carpal tunnel syndrome. The patient responded well to conservative treatment including rest, splinting at night, and NSAIDs.