Explaining Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you’re experiencing much pain and discomfort in your hand and wrist, it is possible you might have carpal tunnel syndrome.

The condition is caused by a compressed nerve in the carpal tunnel, which is located on the palm side your wrist. As a result, it can lead to tingling, pain or numbness in the arm and fingers.

If you suspect you are living with the condition, keep reading to find out more about the symptoms, causes and treatment options for carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Symptoms

Carpal tunnel syndrome can often progress gradually, but there are a variety of symptoms to look out for, including:

• ·         Tingling or numbness – this is often the first symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome, which you’ll experience in the thumb, index and middle fingers, but it will not affect your little finger. The feeling will often come and go, and the sensation may move from your wrist to your arm.
• ·         Hand weakness – you might often drop objects, which is due to numbness or weakness to your thumb’s pinching muscles.

Risk Factors

There are a variety of risk factors connected to carpal tunnel syndrome, such as:

Nerve damage. People living with a chronic illness, such as diabetes, have an increased risk of nerve damage, which can impact the median nerve and lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Inflammatory conditions. If you are living with an illness caused by inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, you have an increased risk of the condition. That’s because inflammation can affect the lining surrounding the wrist’s tendons, placing more pressure on the median nerve.

Workplace Factors. You’re more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome if you work on an assembly line or work with vibrating tools, as both jobs will require prolonged, repetitive flexing of your wrists, which can place greater pressure on the median nerve and could increase existing damage. If you’re diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome due to your working environment, turn to the-compensation-experts.co.uk to make a compensation claim.

Prevention

While there are no proven ways to prevent the development of carpal tunnel syndrome, you can reduce stress on your wrists and hands by:

• ·         Taking frequent breaks
• ·         Relaxing your grip (hit keyboard keys softly, use a pen with a soft grip adapter, etc.)
• ·         Improve your posture (don’t roll your shoulders forward)
• ·         Buy a comfortable computer mouse to avoid strain
• ·         Keep your hands warm

Treatment Options

Carpal tunnel syndrome commonly clears up by itself after a few months, especially if you are pregnant. To speed up the healing process, you should:

• ·         Wear a wrist splint for at least 4 weeks
• ·         Stop or reduce the actions causing the condition (such as playing an instrument or using a vibrating tool for work)
• ·         Take painkillers (ibuprofen or paracetamol) for short-term pain relief
• ·         Perform hand exercises to ease the symptoms

If, however, the symptoms do not clear up on their own, book an appointment with your doctor, as you might need carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, which commonly takes no longer than 20 minutes to perform.