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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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