Carpal tunnel syndrome is a disease widely known by most people. Carpal tunnel which is made up of by ligament and bones at the base of hands contains median nerve and tendons of forearm muscles. The medial nerve is mainly in charge of sensations to palm side of thumbs and fingers (not include small finger). When the tendons get swollen due to some repetitive work, such as construction work, the carpal tunnel becomes narrower and the pressure on the medial nerve increases. So people suffering carpal tunnel syndrome usually have pain at the wrist, with tingling and numbness in the palms and fingers, especially on thumb, index and middle fingers. 

Surgery is usually recommended by doctors as one treatment option. But most of patients are concerned about the potential side effect, such as infection and nerve damage. They would prefer some alternative therapy. 

Acupuncture has been used to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome since long time ago. In 1997, American National Institute of Health (NIH) in its consensus statement on acupuncture concluded that acupuncture was promising for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Further investigation funded by American National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has been continuing.