Can you have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands?

Yes, you can have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, and it is common. Each wrist has its own carpal tunnel, and the same nerve runs through both. In a 2021 study of 327 patients tested with nerve conduction studies, 80.7 percent had the condition on both sides ¹. Some people have it in one hand only, so the other side is not automatically affected. The useful question is which hand the symptoms come from, and whether the other hand needs checking too.

Carpal tunnel often affects both hands

Both-hand disease is common in the studies that test the nerves directly. The authors of that 2021 study state that people with symptoms in one hand are frequently found to have the condition on both sides when tested ².

Studies that ask people about their symptoms, rather than testing the nerves, give a lower figure. In a study of 211 patients referred for nerve testing, 65.9 percent reported symptoms in both hands ³. The table sets the two figures side by side.

The gap between the two figures is partly a question of definition. The nerve test figure counts confirmed nerve changes, and the symptom figure counts what patients said they felt. Both groups had been referred, so neither describes the general population.

Some signs make both-hand disease more likely

The 2021 study looked at what predicted disease in both hands. It found that bilateral symptoms, age of 45 or older and weakness at the base of the thumb predicted carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands ⁴. The median nerve supplies the muscles at the thumb base, which is why thumb weakness is a sign the nerve is under pressure.

These predictors help a clinician estimate the chance of disease on the other side. They do not show that one factor causes the other. A person who has numbness in both hands, is over 45 and notices weakness at the thumb base has the profile the study linked to both-hand disease.

Some both-hand cases need a wider check

Some cases have a known cause, such as diabetes or an underactive thyroid. Diabetes is linked to the condition in a pooled analysis, with an odds ratio of 1.69 after adjusting for other factors ⁵. The link to thyroid disease is covered in can hypothyroidism cause carpal tunnel.

Some causes are rarer and need specialist attention. In a surgical group with carpal tunnel syndrome, amyloidosis was found in 10.2 percent of men over 50 and women over 60, and every one of those cases had symptoms on both sides ⁶. Amyloidosis is a build-up of protein in tissue. The figure comes from people who had surgery, so it is not a rate for everyone with the condition. It does mean that symptoms in both hands in an older person are worth raising with a doctor, who can decide whether any further tests are needed.

It depends: when one hand is worse than the other

Symptoms can be stronger on one side than the other. The guide to carpal tunnel treatment covers the choices, and the guide to RSI from typing explains how repetitive work can affect each hand differently.

If you have numbness in one hand only, a check of the other hand is still sensible, because the authors note that one-sided symptoms are frequently bilateral on nerve testing ². To see whether typing is involved, read can typing cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

What to do if both hands are affected

1. Use a night splint on each affected wrist. The NHS advises wearing a wrist splint at night to relieve pressure on the nerve, and says it may take up to 6 weeks before symptoms start to improve ⁷.
2. Ask for both hands to be examined. A clinician should check the thumb and fingers on each side, and ask whether nerve tests should cover both hands. The guide to how carpal tunnel is diagnosed explains the process.
3. Do not wait for weakness. If carpal tunnel is left untreated for too long, it can lead to permanent dysfunction of the hand, including loss of feeling in the fingers and weakness ⁸. Weakness in either hand is a reason to see a clinician promptly.
4. Reduce strain on both hands during the day. Keep the wrists straight during long tasks, and take breaks. Voice options can reduce the keyboard work on both sides, as explained in the guide to dictation for RSI and carpal tunnel.

This answer describes what the research shows and does not give individual medical advice. For the full picture, read carpal tunnel syndrome: symptoms, causes and typing. Related questions cover whether carpal tunnel is hereditary and whether it can come back after surgery.