Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Prevention

With computers and other technology being so much a part of our lives today, the risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome is simply too high to ignore.
As you type on your keyboard and move your mouse around for hours upon hours each day, tissue in your carpal tunnel can swell, placing pressure on the median nerve. The result is a pinched nerve in your hand. If left untreated, it can cause permanent nerve damage.
Make Carpal Tunnel Exercises a Part of Your Daily Routine
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons**, you should do five-minute warm-up exercises for carpal tunnel prevention before you start using your keyboard and mouse. The exercises include:
1. Stretch your arms in front of you, wrists and hands stretched up as if in a hand stand, and hold for five seconds.
2. Keeping your wrist straight, relax your fingers.
3. With arms still outstretched, make tight fists with both hands.
4. While keeping your fists tight and arms straight, bend both wrists down and hold for five seconds.
5. Now straighten your wrists and relax your fingers. Hold the position for five seconds.
6. Repeat exercises 1-5 for 10 times. After the tenth time, allow your arms to relax by your side as you shake your hands for a few seconds.
** American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Do the exercises several times a day to help prevent problems from developing. Maintaining good posture at all times is also helpful in preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. Keep your spine against the back of your chair, shoulders relaxed, elbows along the side of your body and wrists straight. Keep your hands and wrists in a relaxed, comfortable position while typing. Reduce mouse usage and ensure you are working in an ergonomic workspace.
If You Have:
• tingling and numbness in your thumb, index, and middle finger,
• tingling in all fingers,
• tingling in only the thumb or middle finger,
• aching and pain in your hand,
• aching in your forearm that can radiate to your shoulder or back, and/or
• clumsiness or a weak grip,
You Might Have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Don't delay treatment.
If you suffer with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, treatment may not require surgery. Simply resting your hand, wearing a wrist brace, and taking medication may provide relief. However, if your symptoms persist for at least 8 weeks and a test shows you have a pinched nerve, then surgical treatment may be your best option for hand pain relief.

By E. Brown

Carpal Tunnel Symptoms

Do you wake up at night, with numbing fingers and hands? Do have pain shooting up the arms with a cramping sensation? If this is the case, you are exhibiting carpal tunnel symptoms.

Carpal tunnel symptoms appear differently in each person. Some might experience the pain at night sleeping while other experience pain when working with their hands. Not only people that work with computers or typing can acquire this condition but also, people that do a lot of dexterity work with their hands are at high risk for this condition.

The carpal tunnel itself is a small passageway from the arm to the bottom of the wrist. The nerve and tendons within the passage cause the hand to flex and bend. Nerves and tendons within the passage become compressed causing motor skills to weaken, and pain to the fingers and hand.

Carpal tunnel symptoms other than numbing finger and hands, could be cramping up the arm, pain in fingers or arm, a feeling of swollenness in the hand or fingers, a person's grip weakens, and sense of warm or coldness can go away.

Middle aged men are likely to get the condition, however women are 3 times more likely to develop this condition. Women going through menopause can have a high risk of getting carpal tunnel.

Heredity could be another cause of getting this type of condition. If close family member such as mom, dad, and grandparents had or have the condition, the chances are likely next generation will have the same condition.

Certain health conditions can cause carpal tunnel symptoms. Thyroid disorders, diabetes, obesity and some types of arthritis will increase risk for this condition. People who smoke will have a higher risk factor with this condition than people who do not smoke. People who smoke will take a longer time to heal than non-smokers would take to heal.

With this condition, a person can apply heat to the wrist to help with pain, cool packs for swelling. Keep the arm, hand, and wrist immobile. A wrist splint can help this condition. A person would be able to still use the arm and hand with some mobility of the wrist. The splint will help keep the wrist straight, also helping the passage to open.

A person that has carpal tunnel symptoms should first check with a doctor to make sure a person has this condition. Other diseases and conditions can cause a person to have these types of symptoms. Once a person checks with their doctor and is diagnosed with the condition, the doctor and person can talk over the different therapies to use.

Carpal tunnel is a condition a person can live with and continue working. In some cases, a person might have to seek other employment, as this is only in certain cases. Taking care of a person's hands and wrist is important. Always give your hands and wrist a break.

By Chadhols Kimball