Carpal tunnel syndrome is an illness of the hand and wrist that can, at times, cause agonizing pain. It progresses over time and is caused by a compression of the median nerve. As this nerve is squeezed, the amount of blood and nutrients that flow to it is decreased. The result is often pain, numbness, and weakness in the fingers and thumb. For the most part, carpal tunnel syndrome is due to a congenital predisposition; however, there are a number of risk factors for the condition. For example, the illness is especially common in people who perform assembly line work. Also, women are three times more likely to develop it than men are.