For most people, it's imperative to have full use of the hands in order to achieve success on the job. Some jobs rely more heavily on the hands than others, like construction workers or administrative office professionals. You need the full use of your hands to complete tasks that are critical to your job, whether this means hammering nails, entering data, or compiling reports. This is why carpal tunnel syndrome is such a difficult condition to deal with.
Most of us take our hands for granted. We sit there on our computers in the worst possible positions, leaning on our elbows or putting pressure down on our wrists. As a manual laborer, you can become pretty exhausted, having bad posture as you hammer nails or sand drywall. For a few hours this isn't a problem, but day in and day out these repetitive motions can cause you to have carpal tunnel symptoms.
What exactly is carpal tunnel syndrome? To explain it simply, carpal tunnel syndrome (or CTS) results from the compression of the median nerve that sits within the carpal tunnel of the wrist. This compression results from a tightening, stress, and inflammation of the carpal ligament and surrounding tissues that happens after injury from repeated stress to the wrists and hands. The carpal ligament is what provides you with leverage and support to move the wrists and hands. This is why carpal tunnel can be not only uncomfortable, it can be quite debilitating and can cause those who suffer from it to become depressed as a result of the inability to complete basic tasks without pain.
What are the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome? In reality, if you have the condition you can't help but notice it. You might begin to experience numbness or a 'pins and needles' sensation in your hands and fingers. More commonly, people experience hand and wrist pain that sometime travels up the forearm. In the most extreme cases, sufferers can eventually lose the use of the hands and fingers entirely, if appropriate treatment isn't sought. But, you can injure more than just your hands with this condition. As the pain progresses, people with the condition automatically compensate by adjusting their position. This can results in strain of the legs, back, and shoulders, and this tension may result in back and neck problems, or headaches.
You've probably had one or two of these symptoms before and haven't thought too much about them, but they can be the beginnings of a very serious problem that could keep you from working. So what solutions are available? The first solution that many people think about is surgery. Carpal tunnel surgery involves the cutting of the transverse carpal ligament and can lead to even more complications down the road.
You should focus on exercises and stretches to help relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel. Simply standing up every so often and stretching your entire body can feel great as well as loosening up your arms. Stretching your wrists backward and forward to keep the transverse carpal ligament loosened is also a key in keeping those wrists from developing problems. The best thing to do is to get into a rhythm of stretching every few hours of work. This breaks that repetitive motion of the day and allows your body to be in different positions.
You can't discount the power of some good stretching and exercises to help relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel. Especially when you consider the alternative, surgery!
Most of us take our hands for granted. We sit there on our computers in the worst possible positions, leaning on our elbows or putting pressure down on our wrists. As a manual laborer, you can become pretty exhausted, having bad posture as you hammer nails or sand drywall. For a few hours this isn't a problem, but day in and day out these repetitive motions can cause you to have carpal tunnel symptoms.
What exactly is carpal tunnel syndrome? To explain it simply, carpal tunnel syndrome (or CTS) results from the compression of the median nerve that sits within the carpal tunnel of the wrist. This compression results from a tightening, stress, and inflammation of the carpal ligament and surrounding tissues that happens after injury from repeated stress to the wrists and hands. The carpal ligament is what provides you with leverage and support to move the wrists and hands. This is why carpal tunnel can be not only uncomfortable, it can be quite debilitating and can cause those who suffer from it to become depressed as a result of the inability to complete basic tasks without pain.
What are the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome? In reality, if you have the condition you can't help but notice it. You might begin to experience numbness or a 'pins and needles' sensation in your hands and fingers. More commonly, people experience hand and wrist pain that sometime travels up the forearm. In the most extreme cases, sufferers can eventually lose the use of the hands and fingers entirely, if appropriate treatment isn't sought. But, you can injure more than just your hands with this condition. As the pain progresses, people with the condition automatically compensate by adjusting their position. This can results in strain of the legs, back, and shoulders, and this tension may result in back and neck problems, or headaches.
You've probably had one or two of these symptoms before and haven't thought too much about them, but they can be the beginnings of a very serious problem that could keep you from working. So what solutions are available? The first solution that many people think about is surgery. Carpal tunnel surgery involves the cutting of the transverse carpal ligament and can lead to even more complications down the road.
You should focus on exercises and stretches to help relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel. Simply standing up every so often and stretching your entire body can feel great as well as loosening up your arms. Stretching your wrists backward and forward to keep the transverse carpal ligament loosened is also a key in keeping those wrists from developing problems. The best thing to do is to get into a rhythm of stretching every few hours of work. This breaks that repetitive motion of the day and allows your body to be in different positions.
You can't discount the power of some good stretching and exercises to help relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel. Especially when you consider the alternative, surgery!
About the Author:
What are CT symptoms? Carpal tunnel symptoms, quite simply, is the compression of the median nerve at the wrist where the transverse carpal ligament has become tightened and stressed.. Check CT exercises to minimized this symptoms .
