Double Crush Syndrome

Double crush syndrome was first described in The Lancet in 1973. The term refers to a diagnosis of a compressed or trapped nerve in one area (e.g. the carpal tunnel in the wrist or Guyon's tunnel in the elbow), with a second entrapment in another location (e.g. the neck or shoulder), with both entrapments contributing to symptoms. Some researchers suggest that the presence of an undiagnosed entrapment in another location may explain why some people still experience symptoms after carpal tunnel surgery. Some also suggest that an examination of the hand alone is not sufficient when diagnosing and treating carpal tunnel syndrome, and that the nerves along the whole length of the arm should be examined from the hand to the neck.