Why is numbness in reguards to carpal tunnel painful? that makes no sense to me. i wake up in pain but can't feel my hand. how is this possible?

Nerve Hypoxia: It is actually because the nerve is being starved for oxygen. So two things happen, the nerve does not conduct signals properly from the nerve endings -- the numbness, and then metabolites build up that result in pain fibers being triggered. This pain is similar to what you experience when you feel the burning in muscles from prolonged exercise.

Nerves: Carpal tunnel is a pinched nerve in the wrist. Nerves the nerve is pinched it can activate the pain fibers in the nerve to fire giving the felling of pain.

Nerves transmit : Signals for sensation, pain, temperature, vibration and proprioception as well as signals that control muscles. So anything, such as carpal tunnel, that affects a nerve can affect any of these signals. So pain and tingling can occur together. Total numbness can be replaced by uncontroled pain and a host of other things. Think about "phantom pain" after an amputation and it may make sense.