Five Tips for Preventing Carpal Tunnel

The carpals are the bones of the hand and wrist excluding the fingers. Inside the carpal tunnel, there is the median nerve, nine tendons that control the hand, wrist bones, and a fibrous sheath. The size of the tunnel lumen decreases with bending of the wrist or inflammation within the tunnel from traumatic or non-traumatic sources.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome develops over time. Whenever the tunnel lumen is decreased in any way, pressure is applied to the median nerve, compressing it. Left untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome could cause permanent nerve damage in the affected hand and wrist. The initial pain you feel after repetitive motions lets you know that your body is trying to tell you something. I recommend five tips to avoid CTS at the first signs of pain or discomfort in the wrist.

Tip One: Take frequent breaks. If you work in an office or another occupation where tedious movements of the hands are required, refrain from the work for at least a minute for every fifteen minutes of work. Giving the wrist joint a regular period of relaxation keeps the tendons relaxed. The wrist can be exercised at those times to avoid injuries.

Tip Two: Watch how you sleep. Purposely make sure that you don’t sleep with your wrists curled up under your body. Any pressure on the wrists will decrease the carpal tunnel lumen and cause compression of the median nerve. You could wake up with numbness and tingling in the hand. Alone, it may not mean anything, but combined with other factors, carpal tunnel syndrome may be suspected.

Tip Three: See a doctor for any injury to the wrist or hand. An injury to this area could cause swelling in the carpal tunnel and median nerve injury. Broken bones in the wrist that aren’t properly set could impinge on the nerve as well, resulting in pain in the fingers and/or loss of sensation in the hand. Even catching a heavy object or trying to prevent you from taking a tumble after a slip could injure the hand and wrist.

Tip Four: Be aware of physical changes in your body. Changes in the body can produce non-traumatic causes for carpal tunnel issues. Pregnancy causes fluid retention in body tissues. The membrane surrounding the tendons of the wrist could also swell resulting in pressure on that median nerve. Ganglionic cysts in the wrist could place pressure on the median nerve, too.

Tip Five: Protect yourself. If your job requires excessive wrist movement, wear a brace. Wrist braces keep your hand in proper alignment to prevent torquing of the joint. In the office setting, ask your employer to provide ergonomically friendly equipment, such as keyboards and gel wrist rests. Anything you can do to protect yourself is recommended.

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