Hand and wrist symptoms come in a few recognisable patterns, and which one you have changes what helps.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is nerve compression at the wrist. The classic pattern is numbness and tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, worse at night, often relieved by shaking the hand.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is tendon irritation at the thumb side of the wrist — sharp pain gripping, twisting or lifting, very common in new parents.
RSI covers the broader ache and fatigue from repetitive work.
The forearm and neck connection
Wrist symptoms very often come from further up. Tight forearm muscles can compress the nerve on its way to the hand, and nerve irritation in the neck can produce symptoms felt entirely in the hand. Treating the wrist alone, when the restriction is in the forearm or neck, is why some people get nowhere.
Assessment works out where along the chain the problem actually sits.
What treatment involves
Soft tissue work through the forearm and the muscles around the wrist, releasing trigger points that refer into the hand, and mobility work — plus attention to the neck and shoulder if that is where it originates.
Persistent numbness, weakness, or wasting of the muscle at the base of the thumb needs a medical opinion, not massage. Nerve compression left long enough causes lasting damage.