Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which there is pressure on the median nerve—the nerve in the wrist that supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Numbness or tingling in your fingers or hand especially your thumb index and middle fingers. The sensation commonly occurs while holding a phone, steering wheel or upon awakening. As the problem progresses, the numb feeling may become constant.
Pain extending or radiating from your wrist, up your arm to your shoulder or down your fingers.
Paresthesia – sensation of tingling, tickling, pricking, burning, or numbness of your skin with no apparent long-term physical effect
Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome
In most cases carpal tunnel syndrome is associated with any condition that causes pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem of the nerve itself. Mostly the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition as the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than others. Some common conditions causing CTS include:
Trauma or injury to the wrist leading to swelling, such as sprain or fracture
Obesity
Arthritis
Diabetes
Inflammation of tendons resulting from repetitive hard work
Hypothyroidism
CTS is common amongst the working adult population hence it’s very likely to be associated with the workplace whether or not it is caused by the work itself. Once a single muscle performs a single task repetitively, the increased muscle load plays an key role in the development of musculoskeletal disorders.
To determine whether you have carpal tunnel syndrome, Dr. Eric A. Lane will discuss your symptoms. He will also examine your hand and perform a number of physical tests, inclusive of:
Checking to establish weakness in the muscles around the base of your thumb, or index finger
Pressing down on your wrist’s median nerve to see if it causes any tingling or numbness
Tapping along your median nerve to find out whether tingling occurs in any part of your fingers
Bending and holding your wrist in positions to test for numbness or tingling in your hands
Testing the feeling in the fingers – this is done by lightly touching them with your eyes closed
Wondering what to do to correct carpal tunnel syndrome without having to become a slave to prescription drugs? Worry no more; Dr. Lane has a solution to your problem. He can administer non-medicinal treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome. These treatments include:
Acupressure
This involves using pressure instead of the needles. The pressure is applied to the points on the body that need circulation stimulation.
Yoga
Yoga has proven itself very effective in carpal tunnel treatment. It helps with chronic pain occurring in some muscles. Yoga postures are used for strengthening, stretching and balancing each joint, reducing the pain and improving grip strength for individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Hydrotherapy
Contrasting hot and cold water applications also gives some carpal tunnel patients relief.
