You may have heard of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, maybe even had issues related to it. In this article, you will learn some causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and how to relieve symptoms if you are having issues related to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
What is the Carpal Tunnel
The carpal tunnel is an area in your wrist. If you look at the pisture above, the point above the tattoo to the hand is where the carpal tunnel is. It is made up of the eight (8) bones of the wrist and there is a tissue that runs from one side to the other creating a tunnel.
Based on where the carpal tunnel is located and all of the structures that run through it, it can be considered a highway to the hand. Traveling through your carpal tunnel are muscles, nerves, veins, and arteries. There is a lot of stuff in a little space.
Due to the crowding in the carpal tunnel, any swelling may cause symptoms. Another root cause for carpal tunnel symptoms can be the neck (think of the nerve traveling through the tunnel) where nerves can be irritated.
It is no wonder this area can cause a lot of issues for you.
What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are numerous things that can cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but we are going to focus on the biggest two. Your neck and your wrist positioning.
Neck Position
We have discussed in prior posts that there is "no" perfect posture. This is true, for the most part. When you sit for a long time at a computer, lap top, or on the couch, it is natural for your head to creep in front of you (I do it too). The pressure this puts on your neck is a lot. The joints of the neck can rub against each other creating inflammation (which can set off nerves). This can result in pain anywhere down your arm, including the carpal tunnel.
For every inch your head moves forward of neutral you can add 10 pounds of work to your neck muscles (or more). This stress can cause issues in your neck as well leading to the symptoms of carpal tunnel
Wrist Position
Issues with wrist postion come from having a poor work set up. This has become especially difficult with most of you working from home. When we started the pandamic, we thought it would be temporary, but it is still going. Some of you have tried to make changes to your ergonomics to help relieve pain, but you may still have issues. Check out our posts on ergonomics for laptops and desktops.
With a poor set up, you may have your wrist in an extending position (think of your hand holding a tray above your head on your palm). This position can irritate the structures of the carpal tunnel. This is the same type of position you can get yourself in while using a keyboard.
What Are The Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The two big symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are numbness and weakness. Sometimes you get one of the symptoms, but often you have both. These are both related to nerve issues. So you will need to find out where the nerve issue is happening (the neck or the wrist). Depending on what area of your body is causing, or leading to, your symptoms will direct the best way to get rid of the weakness and/or numbness.
Finding Relief!
This is what your are looking for:
For Neck Based Carpal Tunnel
For Wrist Based Carpal Tunnel
Important to note!
These stretches will not solve the issue. They are designed to get you some relief. If these help you, but not enough you should reach out to us. The last thing that you want is to have a Carpal Tunnel Release surgery that may or may not address the underlying cause!!
You can find us at:
425.202.5687
We are always happy to talk about your best options!
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