Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most popular musculoskeletal conditions for literally anybody that mainly uses a computer. Not to say using one will guarantee it, but it’s definitely a significant contributing factor. Numbness, tingling, pain and even weakness in the hand are signs and symptoms you need to take action on when they initially begin, as carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive condition. The longer you hold out, the worse it gets (like permanent damage – seriously) and if symptoms do get worse, surgery might be your only option and that’s not even a 100% promise of relief (only if you don’t perform the required remedial exercises after).
What’s essentially happening in this whole scenario is the median nerve becomes compressed within a structure known as the carpal tunnel, which is made up of carpal bones (there are 8 of them) and ligaments. But wait, there’s more. There are also all of your flexor tendons that help you to bend your fingers or clench your fist and another structure (transverse ligament) that holds the tendons in place so this leaves very little room for any give. When this tunnel becomes narrowed due to swelling of the tissues surrounding the flexor tendons, the median nerve becomes crowded and that’s when you’ll experience those standard effects.
If you don’t use a computer much, which nowadays is hard to believe (you know who you are), there are still other movements or careers that can be the first line of attack. Gamers, chefs, driving stick, tailors/seamstresses, assembly work, gardening and recreational hockey are just a small variety of activities that can pave the way to a long road of preventable suffering.
A doctor or any manual therapist can confirm if the nerve is affected by performing a number of orthopedic tests, but remember, some therapists legally cannot diagnose as it’s out of their scope of practice so be wise with whom you go to.
If you’ve developed an altered sensation to the palmar aspect of your thumb, index, middle and half of your ring finger, or the backs of these fingers stopping at the first joint above your knuckle, use your body awareness wisely! Your body has just communicated to you that a problem has made enough headway to show itself, which would mean it’s been building up gradually for some time. This is the perfect time to start taking action and trying out some stretches to hopefully halt the regression of the health of your wrists.
In order to stretch effectively, you need to ensure you stretch the muscle(s) cross 2 joints. For stretching the forearm flexor and extensor muscles, they attach at the elbow so you’ll need to ensure the elbow is engaged. Place the backs of your hands on a table or edge of your bed with elbows straight, and truly listen to what you’re feeling. In order to deepen it, ever so slightly lean your upper body forward, still keeping your arms straight. Hold this for at least 30 seconds. Then, you would flip your hands and rest your palms with your wrists facing away from you, maintaining straight elbows. To deepen this one, you would lean your upper body backwards a tad. Hold for at least 30 seconds as well and perform as often as you feel like you need to, especially with prolonged hand use.
In some cases you would need some external assistance with wearing a wrist brace during the activities that are causing you grief or when you sleep. I personally wear a brace to bed when one of my carpal bones has shifted due to my line of work, but because I ensure I take care of my tool (hands), my brace is seldom used (the husband can vouch for me!).
If you’ve experienced what may be carpal tunnel syndrome, your best course of action is to first see your family doctor, who would give you a script anyways to see a manual therapist as a start prior to any suggestion of surgery. I recommend seeing a Registered Massage Therapist, Chiropractor or Physiotherapist.
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