Monday, September 14, 2009

Carpal Tunnel Relief through Exercise

By Tom Nicholson

Smart working, simple exercises and healthy routines help you to get carpel tunnel relief in an easier way. If you are one of those who have only been depended on aspirin for relief from your carpel tunnel syndrome, then you don't know what you are really missing in your life. Your suffering could end. Perhaps you are die hard workaholic who thinks that taking a break can bring the world to a stand still.

However, your hands are the tools you work with and taking care of them will ensure that you keep working for ever. You can ensure that your hands remain in a good condition by some simple tricks and tips. Nevertheless, it's your hands that do everything for you and somehow they are the most abused and ignored body part. We really take them for granted all the time. However, let's understand something about carpal tunnel syndrome before we can really pay attention to our hands.

The definition of carpal tunnel syndrome is just a compression of the median nerve where it runs through the transverse carpal ligament at the wrist area. The transverse carpal ligament binds the ligaments in your wrist and gives you strength, leverage, and functionality. However, when the transverse carpal ligament becomes compressed through strain, pressure, and tension, it in turn compresses the wrist area. The root of this condition is repetitive motion for extended periods of time in combination with bad posture.

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can be annoying and debilitating. Generally something needs to be done relatively quickly or the symptoms will continue to grow unabated. The symptoms include a weakness, numbness or coldness in the hands, wrists, arms and fingers. This can radiate up the arm to the elbow as well. In some very extreme cases, a tingling in the fingers or even loss of functionality in the fingers and hands can occur. This leads to additional problems such as back strain as you work to adjust your posture in favor of your pained hands. Imagine trying to work through all that pain!

The carpel tunnel syndrome may manifest itself in form of some pretty irritating and unbearable symptoms. Normally, it's recommended that some kind of action should be taken fast else the condition worsens with time. Numbness, weakness and coldness in the wrists, arms, fingers and hands are the classic symptoms of this condition which can be even felt in the elbow and the arms at times. Tingling in the fingers and sensation and functionality loss in the fingers and hands may also be symptoms in extreme cases. This may also cause back strain and related problems since the pain in the hands may cause you to adjust your posture to compensate. The pain can be really a problem and working can be a nightmare!

You have many other alternatives to alleviate your condition. Stretching exercises can help in lessening or eliminating the carpal tunnel pain and even lessen the strain you may feel on your wrists, hands and fingers. You can lessen the stress by taking short rests during work. Maintaining the right posture will also help in reducing the problems associated with the carpal tunnel syndrome and even eliminate the underlying cause of the problem and help you to work well.

Don't go in for surgery unless it's the last option left!

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