Do you experience numbness and tingling in your fingers? Does it get so bad that it actually wakes you up at night? These are only a few of the common carpal tunnel symptoms that affect patients across the country.
Carpal tunnel is caused by increased pressure on what is referred to as the median nerve. This nerve is located in your forearm and is surrounded by tendons and muscle. Many things can cause undue pressure on the median nerve?pregnancy related swelling, arthritis, bone fractures, and even hereditary genes. However, the most common cause of carpal tunnel symptoms are due to poor posture and repeated movements.
These causes are commonly found in everyone from industrial workers to carpenters. Office workers are often prone to carpal tunnel syndrome due to long hours spent typing without reprieve. The strenuous work hours are only one part of the problem, however. Many workers type with their wrists angled in a direction that is prone to causing carpal tunnel. This, combined with so much work, creates a strain on the median nerve that is too much to bear.
Carpal tunnel symptoms begin as faint tingling sensations in the palms and fingers, followed by sharp, intense pains lancing down the forearms. Many, at first, dismiss these sensations as poor circulation or minor nerve twinges. However, if left untreated, the carpal tunnel symptoms worsen drastically.
You see, as more pressure damages the median nerve, the more intense the tingling sensations become. They may get so bad that your sense of touch is impaired. Other more severe carpal tunnel symptoms include difficulty moving the fingers and even muscle deterioration.
This is why you should try to see your doctor about your carpal tunnel symptoms as soon as you can. Nothing is worth suffering so. Some common treatments include steroid injections, wrist braces, and gentle physical therapy exercises. Over time, if treated early, you can help ease the pressure in your wrists and enjoy a more mobile lifestyle.
Should your carpal tunnel syndrome grow too severe, you may have to resort to surgery. The procedure itself isn't complicated at all. In many cases, it simply involves the doctor administering anesthesia and then making a small, deep incision in the wrist or palm. Patients are generally able to go home the same day. Over their recovery, they wear wrist braces and do gentle exercises to strengthen their wrists. By the time they're fully recovered, they are often able to enjoy using their wrists and hands with little to no pain or numbness. Ask your doctor about this procedure and other treatments today and see how they benefit you!
