Demystifying Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Medical terms can really faze those with little medical knowledge. Chances are that you will feel quite scared if you are experiencing tremors and aches in your hands and fingers and your doctor tells you that you have carpal tunnel syndrome. In the current age, when most of us have desk bound jobs and do quite a lot of typing on our laptops and other devices, this syndrome has become quite common.

What Exactly is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
It is a disorder that causes pain, tingling, weakness and numbness in the hands, fingers and sometimes in the arms. This is due to swelling of tissues and pressure on the median nerve that runs from your forearm to your wrist.

Who is at Risk?
Those who are overweight, diabetic, have sedentary jobs, have thyroid issues and have rheumatoid arthritis are at greater risk of having this issue. Fluid retention as in the case of pregnant women and those with heart conditions can be one of the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome.

What can be Done?
Exercising to cut down weight can contribute to better health and reduction of symptoms for those who are overweight. Applying ice to your wrist for 10 to 15 minutes can reduce the swelling and relieve the pain. Many people who sleep with their wrist bent report that they experience greater pain at night, so this is one factor that needs to be taken into consideration. Splinting your wrists at night should help. If you spent a long time at the computer, you need to take frequent breaks.
There are a few wrist stretching exercises that can help you avoid surgery like tennis ball squeezes, steepling your hands with the fingers kept together, just shaking your hands and stretching your hands and pointing your palm downwards.