Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is named for the region of the hand where the condition is most obviously to affect the sufferer. It is thought that the condition is the result of cumulative trauma to the hands and wrist from activities that have been engaged in over a long period such as typing, needlework of various kinds, piano playing, gardening activity and various trade activities such as hammer use and the heavy vibrating tools developed for various tasks in the industrial world. The inflammation that results from repetitive stress in the exposed population inflames structures of the carpal tunnel resulting in compression of the median nerve which is the nerve that transmits instructions and receives feedback from the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger and the near side of the third finger, (the little finger involves a different nerve and is thus unaffected by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome). Other activities that are associated with carpal tunnel injury range from stresses the wrist suffers from sleeping positions to sport activities. Such as weight lifting, tennis and squash, golf, cycling and swimming.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is found with highest frequency in middle aged women and is usually considered an occupational disease. However, the symptoms can also be associated with other conditions and these should be eliminated as causative factors in any diagnosis. The best person to carry out a diagnosis is your doctor.

Symptoms can include:

Pain in the hand and wrist. Pain numbness and stiffness of the fingers (especially of the thumb and the first two fingers).

The hand and wrist falling ‘asleep.’

Weakness in the hand; difficulty holding objects, using a can opener, turning a door handle and a range of other common daily activities including of course the job related activities listed above.

Burning and tingling sensations, the feeling that the involved areas are swollen when they are not.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Popular Remedies

Popular remedies aimed at diminishing inflammation and alleviating the pain that have been in use over a long period include:

Boil three leaves of St. Johns Wort in a cup of water for ten minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. A cupful can be taken every day. This will soothe the pain and alleviate the tingling in the hands and wrist.

Take a daily spoonful of oil of linseed for a period of two to four weeks. Studies suggest this type of fatty acids can interrupts the inflammation process.

Eat foods that contain vitamin B6 such as untreated rice, green bananas, vegetables and chicken breast. If taken in capsules the recommended daily amount is two milligrams.

Place an ice pack on the hand or wrist will help in diminishing the inflammation. (Caution: never to apply warm compresses since this will only aggravate the condition.)

Recommendations

Keep the wrist in a “neutral” position as much as possible. This position consists of maintaining the hand wrist in an extended and not doubled up position

Recommended work setup for the computer user includes having the screen about eyelevel and the keyboard must be located so that the wrists do not have to bend.

With everyday tasks it is recommended to avoid holding only with thumb, the index and the middle finger when removing jar and bottle lids since this increases the pressure in the wrist. The full hand should be used for these actions. Ideally the hands can be alternated and rest for one to two minutes.

Much of the progress of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome depends on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In this approach the goal is to not introduce into the body’s metabolism substances that can inflame the condition. Good nutrition is a must as is sleeping well, regular exercise and not smoking.

To ensure a healthy sleeping position, it is recommended that when sleeping the arms stay extended and the wrists straight.

The use ergonomic designs will help in both prevention and management it is thought. Tools are now to be found that are redesigned ergonomically to cause less tension in the areas affected. For example, there are some redesigned computer accessories intended to ensure the wrists remain straight in computer use.

Carpal Tunnel Treatment Exercises of the wrists and the hands.

Certain exercises exist that help to improve the circulation and simultaneously to reduce the tension in these zones of the body. These exercises can be found online and your doctor is likely to have a pamphlet illustrating the exercises.

It will be mentioned again that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome shares some symptoms with other conditions such as osteoarthritis and the necessity of visiting the doctor cannot be emphasized enough.

Don’t forget to check out the videos dealing with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome here

Carpal Tunnel Treatment Exercises Symptoms

Carpal Tunnel Treatment Exercises – Note On Surgery

Although there may be some cases of CTS that will only be resolved by surgery, Carpal Tunnel Treatment Exercises will in many cases offer an alternative approach to dealing with this affliction. It does no harm of course to be informed of both avenues and knowledge of the problem is always a good place to begin. There is a huge amount of material available on the web much of it in highly respected sites such as that of the Mayo Clinic. Other sources of information include the many health sites which often have a collection of information sheets for almost any condition.

Carpal Tunnel Treatment Exercises Common Symptoms

Numbness and Tingling

beginning in the index finger and thumb and eventually involving the middle fingers. (The little finger is not involved since it uses other nervous pathways).

Soreness and stiffness of the wrist

may accompany this tingling either simultaneously with the finger involvement or as the condition progresses in the absence of treatment. It may thus also spread to the whole arm.

Don’t forget to check out the other posts here

Stiffness in the joints,

usually noticed on waking. Thus adults may wake up feeling stiffness and soreness in the joints of the hand, wrist and arm.

Fatigue

is also commonly reported in arms on the affected side. The fingers may also appear to the sufferer as being swollen even though no such swelling seems present on physical examination. The progression of the symptoms in the absence of treatment can include reduced grip strength with difficulty in forming a fist and in the ability to grasp small objects. Manual tasks such as keyboarding and similarly repetitive actions become increasingly difficult to perform. In some cases the person will be unable to differentiate between hot and cold to the touch. Left untreated, in chronic cases the muscles at the base of the thumb may show signs of wasting.

If you identify any or all of these symptoms it is important the at you consult a doctor before concluding that your symptoms result from carpal tunnel syndrome. Many of these symptoms are also indicative of other disorders and only a medical professional is in a position to do an effective diagnosis.

In any case carpal tunnel treatment exercises are likely to form an important part of any treatment plan as well as being involved in recovery when a surgical solution is chosen.

(Don’t forget to check the video section where you can learn more about this condition and the different approaches that may be made to its treatment).

What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition of the wrist that develops when the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel is adversely affected. This adverse effect can result from any condition or activity that results in swelling or a disturbance of the tissues of the carpal tunnel. carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) develops when the result of such disturbances to the passage of the median nerve through the carpal tunnel is the compression of this nerve and its failure to function correctly.

This failure of the median nerve to do its job properly results in the tingling, numbness and other painful sensations characteristic of CTS. Depending on the stage which the syndrome has reached Carpal Tunnel Treatment Exercises can often mitigate these effects and give relief from the symptoms.

Although carpal tunnel syndrome is largely associated in the public mind with the “repetitive stress injury” of the computer user or the tennis player there are several other factors that can bring it about.

Since CTS results from any condition or activity that results in swelling or a disturbance of the tissues of the carpal tunnel, any condition that involves pressure on the median nerve is a possible cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. These obviously include arthritis but also include obesity, diabetes, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, and of course, trauma.

Don’t forget to pay extra attention to the video here as well as those in the Carpal Tunnel Videos section.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – The Healing Mindset

Since CTS is an affliction that is likely to present these distressing symptoms over a long course of time it is highly recommended that the affected person become knowledgeable about the condition. Having a grasp of how the symptoms arise will enable the sufferer to develop a proactive approach to mitigating the situations and activities and indeed habitual hand positions that may be contributing to the condition. In this way it is possible to develop a healing mindset toward the condition. This is true for very obvious things such as the use of appropriate computer equipment and also for the less obvious such as habitual actions with the hand in other areas of life. If a determined effort is made to become aware of the mechanics of the affliction in your individual situation a great deal can be accomplished in avoiding the the things that make it worse whether these be the way the hands are used or the question of correct diet.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Treatment Exercises

Of course the internet is loaded with information on CTS as well as modes of treatment including exercise approaches. Not all of this information is of a high quality and caution is urged in pursuing any source, including this one.