The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway of the wrist, surrounded on three sides by wrist bone and on the fourth, by ligament. The median nerve and some tendons run through this tunnel.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the permanent compression of this median nerve. It occurs with long-term strain on the wrist, for example when using a computer mouse. This is one of the most common occupational illnesses and the number of cases is still increasing.