A 35-year-old female presents with wrist pain, numbness, and tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers that worsens at night. On physical examination, tapping over the median nerve at the wrist (Tinel's sign) reproduces her symptoms. What could be the diagnosis and plan?
The patient's symptoms and the positive Tinel's sign suggest carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist. The next steps would include conservative management with wrist splinting, especially at night, and potentially nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain. If symptoms persist despite conservative management, corticosteroid injections or surgery may be considered.