Learn More About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is often always misunderstood by many. Information and awareness drive would help people recognize CTS. Here are the common causes, risks associated with CTS and the different treatments available.

Causes
Like any other ailment, the cause of CTS can be attributed to many factors :
1. A congenital predisposition - the carpal tunnel is simply smaller for some individuals.
2. Wrist trauma or injury - sprain or fracture, over-activity of the pituitary gland, hypothyroidism, and, rheumatoid arthritis
3. Mechanical problems in the wrist joint
4. Work stress
5. Repeated use of vibrating hand tools
6. Fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause
7. Development of a cyst or tumor in the canal

Risks
Here are some interesting facts about CTS : It is three times more likely to happen to women as men maybe because women’s carpal tunnel is smaller than men; It is usually experienced by adults. Now that we know these facts, what are the risks involved?
Persons with diabetes or other metabolic disorders are at high risk.
People who are in the assembly line work (manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, and meat, poultry, or fish packing) are more likely to develop CTS. A research even showed that it is 3x more common among assemblers than data encoders.

Treatment
Do not procrastinate. When you feel the symptoms already, it is always best to consult a doctor. Have your treatment done as early as possible. Let us look how CTS is treated in different ways at different levels. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) results in more than two million visits to physicians' offices each year.
First level
1. Affected hand and wrist should be rested for at least 2 weeks
2. Avoid activities that may worsen symptoms
3. Use a splint for your arm to immobilizing the wrist and avoid it from twisting and bending.
4. Apply cool packs to reduce swelling if it is inflamed
Second level
1. Intake of drugs to ease the pain and swelling caused by CTS
2. Do some stretching and strengthening exercises to abate the symptoms. Seek the help of physical or occupational therapists.
3. Take some Yoga lessons which have been proven to reduce pain and improve grip strength of CTS patients. Some will suggest acupuncture and chiropractic care but there is still no proven study on its effectiveness.
Third level
1. Surgery – Some statistics indicates that there is an approximately 260,000 carpal tunnel surgeries performed each year in the U.S. alone. There are two kind of CT release surgery :
Open release surgery - a traditional procedure done to an outpatient. This procedure is used to correct carpal tunnel syndrome which is performed under local anesthesia.
Endoscopic surgery – this procedure allows faster functional recovery. It also brings less postoperative discomfort than traditional open release surgery.
Prevention is always better. But is there a way to prevent it? Read on and find out how you can prevent CTS:
- perform stretching exercises
- take frequent rest breaks
- wear splints to keep wrists straight
- use correct posture and wrist position