Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Are you one of the millions of people that have numbness or tingling into your hands? Do you get the feeling that your hands are falling asleep? Then you might have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition where the Median Nerve is being compressed at the carpal tunnel which is located at the wrist. This can happen from a number of reasons which include trauma to the wrist, repetitive motion (such as compression with typing or repetitive twisting at the wrist).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome commonly presents with symptoms (numbness/ tingling from the wrist into the thumb, pointer finger and middle finger. The symptoms must be in these fingers only. If all of the fingers or the ring and pinky fingers have symptoms, you do not have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The nerve entrapment is likely somewhere other than the carpal tunnel. If you have symptoms in the arm or forearm the problem might be coming from you neck or elbow.

The treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome varies depending on severity of the injury. Conservative care can range from muscle work at the wrist to release the pressure off the nerve, ultrasound to the involved area, strengthening and stretching the area to help release the nerve  compression and manipulation of the wrist to increase mobility to the joint. Most cases respond well with conservative treatment, however, more severe cases might require surgical intervention.

Could you have carpal tunnel?

Symptoms include:

• A pain caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist, the median nerve, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist.
• The result may be pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm.
• Some carpal tunnel sufferers say their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent.
• You might feel decreased grip strength making it difficult to form a fist.
• In extreme cases some people are unable to tell between hot and cold by touch.

Carpal Tunnel points

• It is estimated three of every 10,000 workers lost time from work because of carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Early diagnosis and treatment are important to avoid permanent damage to the median nerve.
• Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Persons with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the body's nerves make them more susceptible and are at high risk.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs only in adults.