11 Jul Handy Treatments to Fix Your Carpal Tunnel
A little wrist pain is a common side effect of strenuous activity, but when that pain persists, it could be carpal tunnel. When overuse causes the tendon in your wrist to swell, it will affect the carpal tunnel in your wrist. This means the nerve in that area will become compressed, causing you pain and other symptoms such as swelling, burning, numbness, tingling and more. Why is carpal tunnel syndrome so serious? Without treatment, you could experience complete numbness of your hand, loss of the ability to grip, weakness, muscle atrophy and more. Don’t let carpal tunnel interfere with your day! We have many “handy” treatments designed to help manage your pain and reduce swelling that causes nerve compression. Let us take over some of the handiwork of carpal tunnel syndrome and help you recover quicker today!
What Is Carpal Tunnel?
You might associate injuries with hard labor. That’s not always the case though, especially with the boom in technology in recent years. A common injury that happens without intense physical labor is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is named after the carpal tunnel in the wrist. This is an opening in the wrist that allows the median nerve to pass through and up the arm. The roof of this tunnel is made up of strong connective tissue that is called the transverse carpal ligament. When repetitive motions are done, the tendons in this area can begin to swell. This will cause the tunnel to shrink and you will start to feel signs of nerve compression. When this nerve compression happens, you will feel some or all of the following symptoms:
- Burning and tingling in the hands and fingers
- Sharp pains that radiate up the arm
- Pins and needles
- Feeling like the hands or fingers are swollen even if they’re not
- Numbness that generally begins in the thumb or index finger
- Stiff fingers upon waking in the morning
- Chronic pain that gets worse when you use your hands or fingers
Causes of Your Pain
How does carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) happen? Repetitive motions can cause irritation and swelling that can cause CTS to happen. This can happen from repeatedly performing the same motions with typing on keyboards, using a computer mouse, using smartphones in a certain position and actions that are similar to these. It is usually small actions done often and over a period of time that cause this injury to occur. Many patients don’t realize damage is even happening until symptoms begin to set in.
Any activity that involves bending or twisting the wrist could trigger swelling in the carpal tunnel. We see many of the same causes for CTS. It can be caused by injuries to the wrist due to slips and falls, wear and tear from aging, and fluid built up in the joints due to diabetes or pregnancy. Some common degenerative conditions that affect the joints of the wrist (such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis) can also cause CTS. Another cause is repetitive actions in sports such as in tennis and golf that rely on wrist movement. Even holding an object for a long period of time in the same way (like a book) can cause inflammation to set in. The good news? CTS is not permanent and can be treated.
Why Should You Have Your Carpal Tunnel Treated?
It’s never a good idea to let injuries worsen over weeks or months in the hopes that they’ll heal on their own. When it comes to CTS, allowing your CTS to worsen could cause more serious symptoms. CTS commonly worsens over time as well. If left untreated, it could cause problems that would render you unable to work if you depend on fine motor movements with the hands and fingers. When carpal tunnel is left untreated, it can also lead to atrophy of the hand and forearm muscles, loss of grip, pain that is severe enough to keep you awake at night, weakness with basic tasks and complete numbness or minor paralysis in the fingers or hands. Because CTS is so treatable, it’s not something you want to let get ahead of you.
Nerve Compression
When it comes to CTS, women are more prone to symptoms than men. Age also plays a factor. The average age of people with carpal tunnel syndrome generally fall between the 40 and 50. Your genetics can play a factor in your risk for CTS, as the makeup of your hand and wrist will make you more or less prone to CTS. This is determined by how wide the carpal tunnel is and how much space the median nerve has before becoming compressed. The best way to avoid carpal tunnel is to avoid repetitive motions over a long period of time.
Find Relief Today
If you have been experiencing any of the symptoms we’ve mentioned, it’s smart to have your hands and fingers looked at. If you are experiencing pain, we can help you find ways to deal with the pain while your body heals from injury. We can also help you avoid having problems with carpal tunnel in the future and give you tips for keeping your muscles healthy and strong. If you think you may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, give our Mile High Spine & Pain Center office a call today at (720) 507-0080 for your free consultation!