Prevention of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be avoided by doing simple exercises. It just takes five minutes to carry out these exercises.
- In case of athletes, warming up the wrist area before engaging in training is important so that the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is reduced.
- Isometric strength exercises (where the muscles are contracted, but the limbs do not move) should be practiced as warm up as they not only warm the wrists but also strengthen the muscles and improve blood flow.
- Avoid extreme flexion and extension movements because extreme flexion doubles the pressure that is applied to the median nerve whereas extreme extension triples the same. Perform exercises at the point of comfort.
- If you have to do the same tasks over and over with your hands, try not to bend, or twist your hands for long time in very extreme position.
- Don't work with arms too close or too far from the body.
- Don't rest wrists on hard surfaces for long periods of time.
- Switch hands while at work to divide stress.
- Take regular breaks from repeated hand movement to give rest to tendons.
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- If you use a keyboard a lot, adjust the height of your chair such that forearms are in level with keyboard and you don't have to flex your wrists to type.
- Make a fist with the right hand with the palmar side facing up. Using the left hand gently push the fisted hand while keeping the right wrist straight. Turn the fisted hand gently pushing down the knuckles while keeping the wrist straight. Turn the fisted hand so that the thumb points up.
- Make a loose fist with your right hand, then keep the palm in upward position and thereafter use the left hand to press it gently down against the clenched hand. Now provide resistance to the force of the left hand with right hand for five seconds, keeping in mind that the wrist should be straight.
- In Wrist circle exercise, draw clockwise circles in air with tips of second and third fingers, which are kept up and close together.
- Stretch the forearm muscles and then place the hands together in front of the chest with the fingers pointing upward just like a prayer position. Now keep the palms flat together and raise the elbows to stretch. Finally for few seconds gently to loosen them.
- Bend the thumb against the palm beneath the little finger and then spread the fingers apart with the palm in upward position. Finally pull the thumb out gently and back.
- Squeeze a tennis ball 30-100 times with each hand.
- Extend left arm straight in front of you with palm up. Use your right hand to bend wrist down. Feel the stretch in forearm. Hold for 30 seconds and release
- Extend the left arm straight in the front of you palm down Use your right hand to bend wrist down. Feel the stretch in forearm. Hold for 30 seconds.
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Carpel tunnel syndrome calculator!!
The more the number of “Yes”, the more the probability of CTS
- Do you feel tingling or numbness in the palm of your hand and fingers?
- Do you feel burning in the palm of your hand and fingers?
- Do you feel an itching sensation in the palm of your hand and fingers?
- Does wearing a splint at night ease your symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?
- Do your symptoms become worse at night?
- Have you ever been awakened from sleep feeling the need to "shake out" hand to ease symptoms?
- Has your grip strength decreased?
- Do you feel clumsy when handling objects?
- Are you able to distinguish between hot and cold?
- Was dominant hand affected first?
- Have you ever experienced trauma or injury to wrist which caused swelling?
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- Your gender is:
- Have you experienced fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause?
- Do you have a job which involves work-related stress of the hand?
- Do you experience shooting pains which radiate from forearm up to your shoulder?
- Do your symptoms occur in little finger?
- Do your symptoms worsen when using your affected hand?
