Preventing
carpel tunnel syndrome
The bones and other tissues in your wrist help to
protect your median nerve; together they form a narrow tunnel that is known as
the carpel tunnel. Your median nerve is what gives you feeling in your fingers
but occasionally ligaments and tendons get swollen and become painful as they
press against the median nerve. When this happens your hand hurts or even
becomes numb and you develop an extremely painful condition know as carpel
tunnel syndrome.
Carpel tunnel syndrome most commonly affects people
who do the same movements with their hands continually. Those who more at risk
include typists, carpenters, grocery packers and assembly line workers, people
with hobbies such as gardening, needlework, golfing and canoeing are also more
at risk of developing the syndrome. It has also been linked with illnesses such
as diabetes, arthritis and thyroid disease and women in the last few months of
pregnancy can develop it.
The first signs that indicate you might be suffering
from carpel tunnel syndrome include
- Tingling
or numbness felt in your hands and fingers, especially around the index,
middle fingers and thumb.
- Pain
in the palm of your hand, forearm or wrist
- The
pain or numbness is worse at night than it is during the day
- The
pain gets worse the more you use your hands
- You
have trouble gripping things and drop them more often
- Your
thumb feels particularly weak
Your doctor will perform an examination of your hand,
fingers and wrist to help determine whether you have carpal tunnel syndrome and
may include a nerve conduction test to help the diagnosis. If carpal tunnel
syndrome is diagnosed, treatment will usually consist of you having to wear a
splint, and give your wrist a rest and change the way you use your wrist. The
splint can help to alleviate the pain felt, particularly at night. Massaging
the area of pain and putting ice onto the area can all help, as can performing
stretching exercises. With treatment it is a condition that will improve, but
there are some things you can do to help prevent the onset of carpel tunnel
syndrome.
Increasing
your awareness of how you use your hands and equipment throughout the day can
make a change
Centering your
work directly in front of you, your forearms should be parallel to the floor or
slightly lowered
If you stand
up to work then have your work bench at waist height
Make sure your
hands and wrists are in line with your forearms
If you work
long hours at a keyboard then titling it can help
Use proper
hand and wrist movements when using a mouse and trackball
Make sure you
hold your elbows in close to your sides
Never rest of
the heel of your hand or wrist especially if you have them bent at an angle
Make sure that
you take a slight break every 20 minutes
Do some stretching or flexing exercises every 20
minutes
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