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Free Help for Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome
Symptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome wrist pain usually progress gradually over weeks and months
and, in some cases, years. Anyone with recurrent or persistent pain, numbness and tingling, or
weakness of the hand should consult a physician for a diagnosis.
Carpal tunnel symptoms often develop as follows:
Initial carpal tunnel syndrome wrist pain symptoms begin as wrist and hand
discomfort. Symptoms commonly occur in both hands. (Even when only one hand is painful, the
other hand often shows signs of nerve conduction abnormalities on testing.)
Early on, the patient also usually reports numbness, tingling, burning, or some
combination on the palm side of the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. (Typically the fifth
finger has no symptoms.) Such sensations may radiate to the forearm or shoulder.
Over time, the hand may become numb and patients may lose the ability to feel heat
and cold. Patients may experience a sense of weakness and a tendency to drop things.
Some patients with carpal tunnel syndrome wrist pain may feel that their hands are
swollen even though there is no visible swelling. (This symptom may actually prove to be an
important indicator of greater severity.)
Carpal tunnel syndrome wrist pain symptoms may occur not only when the hand is being used but also
at night when the patient is at rest. Even in cases where work is suspected as the cause, symptoms
typically first occur outside of work. In fact, the disorder may be distinguished from similar
conditions by pain occurring at night after going to bed.
Prevention
Because carpal tunnel syndrome may have multiple factors involved in its cause,
there is no single mode of prevention. Treating any underlying medical condition is certainly
important. Simple common sense may help minimize some risk factors predisposing to work-related
carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or other cumulative trauma disorders. A patient can learn how to
adjust the work area, hand tools, or perform tasks in ways that put less stress on the hands and
wrists. Proper posture and exercise programs to strengthen the fingers, hands, wrists, forearms,
shoulders, and neck may help prevent CTS.
Corporate Efforts
Many companies are now taking action to help prevent repetitive stress injuries. In
a major survey, 84% reported that they were modifying equipment, tasks, and processes. Nearly 85%
were analyzing their workstations and jobs, and 79% were buying new equipment. It should be
stressed, however, that there has been no evidence that any of these methods can provide complete
protection against CTS. The optimal corporate approach, if possible, is to reallocate workers
suffering from repetitive stress injuries to other jobs.
Preventing CTS in Keyboard Workers
Altering the way you perform repetitive activities may help
prevent inflammation in the hand and wrist from progressing into full-blown carpal tunnel syndrome.
For example, replacing old tools with ergonomically designed new ones can be very helpful.
Allow yourself rest periods and avoid repetition. Anyone who does
repetitive tasks should begin with a short warm-up period, take frequent breaks, and avoid
overexertion of the hand and finger muscles whenever possible. Employers should be urged to vary
tasks and work content.
A 2001 study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
reported that even taking multiple "microbreaks" (about three minutes each) reduces strain and
discomfort without decreasing productivity. Such breaks may include the following:
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Shaking or stretching the limbs.
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Leaning back in the chair.
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Squeezing the shoulder blades together.
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Taking deep breaths.
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Good Posture.
Good posture is extremely important in preventing carpal
tunnel syndrome wrist pain, particularly for typists and computer users.
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Sit with your spine against the back of the chair with your shoulders relaxed.
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Your elbows should rest along the sides of your body, with wrists straight.
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Your feet should be firmly on the floor or on a footrest.
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Typing materials should be at eye level so that the neck does not bend over the work.
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Keeping the neck flexible and head upright maintains optimal circulation and nerve
function to the arms and hands. One method for finding the correct head position is the
"pigeon" movement. Keeping the chin level, glide the head slowly and gently forward and
backward in small movements, avoiding neck discomfort.
 ..........Check out
Wikipedia on Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome for frequent updates. Wikipedia tends to be
most responsive to news and research updates because there are literally hundreds of
thousands of contributors. Also try the latest research on MedLine.
Watch Dr.
Walker's invention
cure carpal tunnel symptoms.
visit: the Carpal
Therapist
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