Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The following symptoms are related to carpal tunnel syndrome:
There may be occasional tingling and numbness, or burning in your hands and fingers. With time, these signs and symptoms usually get more intense and occur more frequently. You may also develop pain in a hand that will radiate up into your arm(s). You may also lose strength in your hand and it may be difficult for you to make fists or pinch with your fingers. Symptoms are usually worse at night and/or first thing in the am.

The most common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive movement of the hand and/or wrist. This affects thousands of people every year and is becoming more common. The syndrome often affects people who perform keyboarding, lifting, or other repetitive activities that involve a lot of wrist movement.

Athletic activities associated with carpal tunnel syndrome include racquetball and other racquet sports, bicycling, canoeing, kayaking, gymnastics, bowling, and baseball. People who have a high incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome include keyboard operators, homemakers, carpenters, gardeners, cooks, musicians, assembly workers, electricians, butchers, and aestheticians, women are affected more often than men.

In your wrist there  is a tunnel formed by the transverse carpal ligament on the palm side and the wrist bones on the back side. The median nerve and the tendons that flex your fingers pass through this tunnel. Sometimes, when you use your wrists over and over in the same way, the tissues inside the carpal tunnel become irritated and swollen. Then the median nerve is squeezed in the carpal tunnel. The pressure on the nerve causes the numbness, tingling, and other symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The median nerve may also be squeezed after an injury such as a dislocation or fracture or if you have arthritis or diabetes. Also, fluid retention from pregnancy or menopause may put pressure on the nerve.

To diagnose the problem, your physician or physiotherapist may use simple hands-on tests designed to reproduce symptoms. Your doctor may order other tests, like nerve conduction studies to measure efficiency of nerve conduction and check for nerve damage.

Management of carpal tunnel syndrome must involve removing the activity that's aggravating your symptoms. If the condition is caught early this alone sometimes is enough to alleviate the problem. Of course, if the aggravating motion is part of your job, you may not be able to stop completely, your physiotherapist can help you find solutions that work in your particular situation.

Some helpful hints

• Keep your wrists straight when performing repetitive activities like paddling a canoe or typing.
• Avoid prolonged periods of repetitive movements, of keeping your hands tensed, or of flexing or extending your wrists (when rock climbing or bagging groceries for example)
• Decrease the speed and force of repetitive activities. For instance, roll a bowling ball with less force, or try and electric screw driver instead of a manual one.
• Use the stronger muscles of your arms and shoulders to reduce the stress on your wrists. When rowing or carrying boxes, for example you may have to adjust your technique.
• Take frequent rest breaks when using your hands a lot for sports or work.
• Massage the palm and back of your hand often during the day and shake your hand periodically if your wrist or hand feels stiff.
• Perform hand and arm exercises to keep muscles toned and flexible.