Carpal tunnel: what is it?

Do you do a sedentary job that keeps you many hours in the same position? Is it some time that you have a wrist pain and a tingling sensation and numbness in your arm? Don't underestimate these symptoms, but take them seriously because they represent the first alarm bells in the carpal tunnel. The Carpal Tunnel is a common disorder, but that few know. This is a nerve compression syndrome that causes pain, tingling and numbness in the hand, fingers, except the little finger, and the wrist. In short, it is caused by compression and crushing, at the wrist, of the median nerve , the one that runs from the forearm to the wrist. It is the most common syndrome that affects the peripheral nerves and mainly affects people who perform repetitive movements or who use their hands to work. Among the subjects most at risk we find women, especially over 40 due to hormonal storms during the pregnancy and in the period ofmenopause. Be especially careful during pregnancy where the tingling and pain should not be underestimated because it could also affect the entire arm. Others are at risk people with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid problems. In addition, the carpal tunnel may also present with long-standing wrist fractures or poorly cured tendon problems in the hand.

Carpal tunnel symptoms

Now that we've discovered what the carpal tunnel is let's explore the symptoms together to understand if we are among the people at risk:

• Numbness and tingling of the fingers, except the little finger
• Increased pain at night and when movements are more frequent
• Strong pain from the hand to the shoulder, with a consequent limitation of movements
• Pain in the fingers of the hand, more accentuated than the thumb and in the index and middle fingers. Furthermore, pain causes a limitation of movement.
• Limited movements and a firm grip of the hand affected by pain

The carpal tunnel, therefore, manifests itself with the appearance of pain in the wrist, fingers and hand, while the tingling and numbness are distributed throughout the median nerve. The pain associated with this disease occurs in the first phase, especially at night and in the morning when you wake up. The thing to watch out for is that the symptoms can be confused with those of rheumatoid arthritis, especially in the hands and wrists.The effects that the carpal tunnel causes they are not only related to numbness and tingling, but, in some cases, there may be a sensation similar to an electric shock in the thumb, ring finger and middle finger. In severe cases, when the disease evolves, it can lead to loss of strength and even atrophy. These are the most common symptoms to understand if you have been affected by carpal tunnel syndrome, but it is possible to discover it also through the Phalen maneuver.
The Phalen maneuver is performed by the doctor asking the patient to hold his forearms in a vertical position and to keep his wrists forcibly bent. If the patient has a carpal tunnel, pain and numbness will appear in the limbs within a minute.

Carpal Tunnel Remedies

The first remedy that recommends medicine is the surgical operation that takes place with local anesthesia. Do not be alarmed, the operation occurs with a small incision on the hand and above all the convalescence is short-lived. Obviously the surgical operation guarantees greater chances of recovery. Another remedy forcarpal tunnelis represented by correct position to be implemented when the computer is used for a long time. Therefore, a correct posture, perhaps assisted by special pads that support the wrist, could prevent this disease from appearing. How do you continue to work in the event that carpal tunnel syndromeis it in an advanced stage? The number one council is that of use the carpal tunnel brace, so as to keep the wrist well protected. The second piece of advice, instead, is to take breaks to allow the interested wrist to rest from the work effort. Furthermore, during breaks, if the pulse is sore, small movements must be performed, such as simple rotation. I recommend that you do not underestimate these tips because even small exercises can help you alleviate the pain caused and limit the impediments it causes, in life and work.

Carpal tunnel brace

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, one of the remedies to alleviate carpal tunnel propagation, is to wear a carpal tunnel brace. The brace is a strong ally and helps to relieve discomfort and prevent the disease from getting worse. Il carpal tunnel bracemoreover, it is advisable to use it especially at night, when the pain increases. It will help reduce the ailments and therefore not lose hours of sleep.

Conclusions

In this brief guide we have discovered what the carpal tunnel is, what are the causes and what are the remedies. If you believe you have symptoms, the number one advice is to consult your doctor to make sure that it is the carpal tunnel. Thank you for reading this informative guide and I hope it was useful! In that case I invite you to share this article!