Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

You're working at your desk, trying to ignore the tingling or numbness you've had for some time in your hand and wrist. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shoots through the wrist and up your arm. Just a passing cramp? More likely you have carpal tunnel syndrome.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway of ligament and bones at the base of your hand. It contains nerve and tendons. Sometimes, thickening from irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the nerve to be compressed. Symptoms usually start gradually. As they worsen, grasping objects can become difficult.

What causes the problem? Some people have smaller carpal tunnels than other people do. Other causes include performing assembly line work, wrist injury, or swelling due to certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Women are three times more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome than men. Treatment includes resting your hand, splints, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, and surgery.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on Wikipedia

'''Carpal tunnel syndrome''' is a disorder in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist causing symptoms like tingling, pain, coldness, and sometimes weakness in parts of the hand. It is the most famous of a class of disorders called repetitive strain injury.

Anatomy

The median nerve runs through the carpal tunnel, a canal in the wrist that is surrounded by bone on three sides, and a fibrous sheath (the flexor retinaculum) on the other. As well as the nerve, many of the hand's tendons pass through this canal. The median nerve can be compressed by swelling of the contents of the canal, or by direct pressure from part of a broken or dislocated bone.

Incidence

The syndrome is much more common in women than it is in men.

Symptoms

The first symptoms usually appear at night. Symptoms range from a burning, tingling numbness in the fingers (especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers) to difficulty gripping, making a fist, or dropping things.

Causes

Some cases of carpal tunnel syndrome are due to work-related cumulative trauma of the wrist. It is commonly caused by strain placed on the hand, for instance gripping and typing, which are usually performed repetitively in a person's occupation. There are a number of causes of carpal tunnel syndrome. They can be either Physical traumatic, or non-traumatic. Trauma-based causes: *Repetitive stress induced carpal tunnel strain is the leading cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in most industrialized countries. In the USA for instance, repetitive stress induced CTS is the biggest single contributoring factor to lost time at work. This type of CTS results in billions of dollars of workers compensation claims every year. *Fracture (bone)s of one of the arm bones, particularly a Colles' fracture. *Dislocation of one of the carpal bones of the wrist. *Hematoma forming inside the wrist, because of ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Hawaii Rainforest Botanicals - Aromatherapy products and information. Products include relief for stress, pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches.

The Helping Hand Stretch-Assager - Information about a products for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Biomax Health Products, Inc. - Information on cream to provide relief from the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, bursitis, tendonitis and other repetitive strain ailments.

Balance Systems Inc. - Information about a new treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome: Flextend product. Order on site.

Flextend.net - Carpal tunnel syndrome, cumulative trauma disorder and repetitive strain injury information.

Wrist-Pain.com - Information about a wrist brace which assists in treatment and prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome.

WristWand - A new tool and technique in the prevention and treatment of Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI), or Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), Tennis Elbow, Golf Elbow, Arthritis.

Four Point Products, Inc. - Provides gloves designed to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

Dynaflex International - Offering equipment designed for repetitive stress injury and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Comfort Keyboard Systems (CKS) - Provides ergonomic products for pain relief and accessibility. Keyboard models are designed to aid with carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive stress injuries (RSI), and posture adjustment.

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