Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Exercises to Help with Carpal Tunnel Symptoms

By Tom Nicholson

If you have been suffering from the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, then you have probably grown very tired of the constant pain you feel with this condition. If you are and office worker you may be having a hard time completing your job properly. If you production is going down as a result of the carpal tunnel symptoms you might even be afraid of losing your job entirely. In addition to the pain and stress, you may be feeling confusion. You probably have no idea what to do about fixing this problem. Will it take weeks of rehab or surgery to relieve the pain?

Most people don't take care of their hands the way they should which is surprising when you consider how important the hands are. The hands are used constantly and are necessary to be productive and complete simple tasks. For people that make their living with their hands, they are even more important. The risk of getting carpal tunnel syndrome is real and taking steps to prevent it is important.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that effects the hands, fingers and arms and is attributed to pain (and caused by) repeated motion in a job or hobby that you frequently perform. Some of these folks are typists, construction workers or even baseball players. The condition starts when the median nerve is pinched at the wrist. The median nerve runs the length of the arm and is bunched together by the transverse carpal ligament. This vital ligament can become strained and tighten itself around the wrist, thus causing the problem with the median nerve.

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can range from slightly annoying to completely unmanageable depending on how long it goes without treatment and its severity. The symptoms can be as mild as a slight tingling in your fingers to numbness or burning from your fingertips to your forearm. There can be severe pain and total loss of use of the hands for short periods of time. When the posture is adjusted to take pressure from the wrists, back pain, shoulder pain, and neck pain can occur.

What can you do about carpal tunnel symptoms? Many people consider surgery for carpal tunnel symptoms, but that can be a very risky path to take. After all, we really don't know the full results of any surgery, and so even this simple procedure can cause some major problems for you down the road.

A more natural alternate treatment method would be to always use good posture. Having good posture will automatically take the pressure off of the wrists and distribute it evenly across the body. Take frequent breaks that will allow stretching of the hands and wrists. Stretch your body frequently so that you are not in the same position for hours on end. Taking just a few minutes to stretch and loosen your fingers, hands, and wrists can pay big dividends down the road.

If you find it difficult to imagine going through your life without the use of your hands, you will see that taking some preventative measures is very important. Taking a few simple steps can give you many years of using your hands to be productive.

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