Tips For Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Do you think you might have carpal tunnel syndrome? Find out exactly what the symptoms are and what you can do to prevent it from becoming a problem.

Do your daily repetitive tasks make your hands ache after a long day of work? Carpal tunnel syndrome is scary for those of us who depend on our hands for our livelihood. The main symptom of this condition is shooting pain in the wrists or fingers of the hand. It requires long-term treatment and is extremely disruptive to your lifestyle. Here are some things that you can do to prevent carpal tunnel from happening to you.

Exercises Help

Exercise both before and after work. Do some regular stretching but focus particularly on stretching your wrists, fingers, thumbs and lower arms. Although the pain you feel from this condition affects your wrists and fingers mostly, stretch every area that you use in your daily repetitive tasks. The aim of your exercises should be to relax the median nerve that runs from your lower arm to your fingers.

Lots Of Breaks

Here's good news - one great thing you can do to protect your hands and wrists is to take lots of breaks. If you have a job where you're constantly typing on a computer, take a short break every hour or so. Just giving your hands a little time to rest will make a huge difference. When the repetitive motion is constant with no break, this is when this condition usually occurs. Mix up your day's tasks so that you give your hands some variety.

Cut Down On Stress

Stress is another major factor in developing carpal tunnel syndrome. The pain is caused by pressure on the median nerve. Make sure that your work station is as comfortable as possible. You should be able to work for 30 minutes or more without any discomfort. There are wrist pads and keyboards that are adjustable for maximum comfort. Also, check your posture. How you sit in your chair affects the angle at which your hands work. 

Know The Symptoms

Because pain in your hands and wrists can have many causes, it's good to know exactly what this condition feels like. It's different from hand cramps in that it involves acute pain. This pain is often felt in the thumb, forefinger and middle finger. Regular muscle soreness will affect the whole hand more or less equally, but this condition sends shooting pain to certain areas. There are also genetic factors that play a part, so if you have family members who suffer from it, this means you're more likely to as well.

Contact Your Doctor Immediately

If you believe that you may have this syndrome, contact your doctor immediately. Often, symptoms do not show themselves until it's already a problem. Getting to the doctor as soon as possible allows you to start treatment quickly, and this greatly increases the treatment's success rate. There are lots of options that they can use to stop your carpal tunnel syndrome before it causes you more problems.

Article Tags: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel, Tunnel Syndrome

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