Sunday, October 18, 2009

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms - Are You Suffering Silently?

By Tom Nicholson

Nowadays, carpal tunnel syndrome is so common that many considerate to be at pandemic proportions, largely due to the modern way of life, to which we've all become so accustomed. Unfortunately, although there is much that can be done, many people continue to suffer in silence. In fact, many people who have carpal tunnel syndrome don't even realize they have it, and then there are those who simply don't feel the condition warrants a visit to the doctor. If the condition is ignored, rather than go away, it will get steadily worse.

Irrespective of whether or not you have heard about carpal tunnel syndrome and the symptoms of the condition, you may still not be fully aware as to whether or not you have the disease, and for this reason you need to make an effort to familiarize yourself with the symptoms. Furthermore, depending on your position at work, you may also want to consider learning how the condition can affect employees, and also what can be done about it.

Essentially, because so many people tend to use their wrist and finger muscles excessively, it can result in an imbalance, which in turn causes the bones of the wrist to shift, and this causes the carpal tunnel to become increasingly smaller. When this happens, undue pressure is placed on the median nerve which is located inside the tunnel. Several movements such as those we perform when we type, grip something, or squeeze something, all of which are repetitive actions, can result in carpal tunnel syndrome developing.

Essentially, the more pressure which is applied to the nerve inside the carpal tunnel, the more symptoms will be experienced, and the more severe the symptoms will be. While some people may only experience relatively mild pins and needles in their hands and wrists, other people experience complete numbness and severe tingling. Unfortunately, pain is inevitably part of the package, and in severe cases it may result in you loosing the strength in your hands as well as hand coordination.

Although carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms can vary from one person to the next, the most common symptoms tend to be stiffness in the wrist and hands, making it uncomfortable to do certain tasks. Likewise, a person suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome will also often experience pain in their elbows, wrists, forearms, and also in their shoulders.

The good news however is that it is possible to eradicate the symptoms altogether providing the right treatment is provided. In fact, relief can often be had simply by doing the appropriate hand and wrist exercises, although you should bear in mind that such exercises are not the only treatment available. Instead, you may want to consider purchasing a wrist splint designed specifically for those who are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Furthermore, while exercises and/or a splint can offer a great deal of relief, you need to realize that there are also other treatment options out there which can help to get rid of the problem.

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