Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the hand and wrist, with symptoms like pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. It targets your wrist’s median nerve, a nerve that’s responsible for some of the sensations you have in your fingers. Increased pressure on this nerve can hurt carpal tunnel.
This condition can affect anyone from all walks of life. Statistics show that the condition affects four to 10 million Americans. However, carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in workers. With this information in mind, knowing how this disorder can affect you is important. This guide to carpal tunnel syndrome has everything you need to know about the condition.
What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
A constricted carpal tunnel is the main cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. When that space narrows, it puts pressure on the median nerve and tendons. This pressure leads to swelling, reducing the sensation in your fingers and hand.
What are the Risk Factors for a Painful Carpal Tunnel?
Overusing your fingers at work or at play can increase your risk for carpal tunnel pain. For one, you’re likely to be diagnosed with the disorder if you perform specific movements such as typing, writing, and using vibrating tools. Doing high-force motions or using hands for longer can also lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. You could even develop the condition if you’re moving your wrist too much.
Beyond motion, your carpal tunnel can also ache due to the following factors:
- Heredity or family history
- Pregnancy
- Hemodialysis
A hurting carpal tunnel can also stem from the following conditions:
- A fractured or dislocated wrist
- A deformed hand or wrist
- Certain types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and gout
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- A tumor in your carpal tunnel
Moreover, age and gender could put you at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome.
What are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel symptoms gradually develop from your wrist. You can experience these signs at any time, whether you’re working or playing. Numbness and tingling are early signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, and they can occur at night. Twisting your wrists while sleeping triggers these symptoms, thus waking you up.
Numbness and tingling aren’t the only symptoms that come with a hurting carpal tunnel. The following symptoms can arise when you have the condition:
- Your fingertips feel fewer sensations.
- You find small tasks like holding small objects, writing, and using computer keyboards hard to perform.
- Your hands go weak.
- You’re unable to do tasks that require delicate movement.
- You drop the objects you’re holding.
What Does Carpal Tunnel Feel Like?
Symptoms like numbness, tingling, and weakness trigger different sensations. For instance, numbness or tingling can feel like the pins and needles sensation. You usually experience that sensation while you’re in an awkward position, and an aching carpal tunnel can create it. It can be compared to the feeling of being electrocuted or burnt.
Numbness or tingling are also common symptoms. Any of these sensations could flare up when you put your hand or wrist in certain positions.
Weakness, on the other hand, refers to the loss of finger or hand strength. This can cause you to drop anything you’re holding an object. Furthermore, you could experience atrophy with severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Atrophy happens when the muscles under your thumb get smaller.
You could also feel recurring pain from an achy carpal tunnel. Avoiding the activity that caused the condition can help your discomfort subside. However, you’ll experience pain if you continue working or playing. Reducing or stopping these activities and getting your carpal tunnel treated are the best solutions to go for.
How Can You Relieve an Achy Carpal Tunnel?
When it comes to easing a painful carpal tunnel, you have a variety of options. Don’t forget to get an accurate diagnosis from a doctor before trying any carpal tunnel remedies.
Treatment for a hurting carpal tunnel can include the following:
Ice & Warm Water
Ice is one of the simplest remedies available for carpal tunnel syndrome. Try applying ice to your wrist or run an ice bath and wet your wrist there. You can also soak your hand in warm water to soothe aches from your carpal tunnel. Gently bend and stretch your hand and wrist while they’re in your warm water bath.
Wrist Splinting
By fitting a brace or support onto your wrist, it stays in place. Your wrist can feel better when it’s in a neutral position. For less recurrent symptoms, consider overnight splinting. This remedy can help keep carpal tunnel symptoms from waking you up, too.
Ergonomics
You can also soothe symptoms through a comfier workstation and minimal hand and wrist use. If you have mild carpal tunnel syndrome, the remedies we’ve mentioned are excellent for improving your symptoms. Moreover, you can manage your condition with ergonomics and treatments like splinting and medicine.
Medicine
Typically, your doctor will prescribe non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for carpal tunnel relief. These medications can help the swelling within your wrist go down. Corticosteroids are another option, and they can ensure permanent relief. Moreover, corticosteroids can aid in lessening your symptoms.
Physical & Occupational Therapy
You can manage your symptoms through physical and occupational therapy, too. As part of your treatment, your therapist can recommend stretching and strengthening exercises. These exercises target your hand and wrist muscles. Your therapist can also suggest lifestyle changes to help relieve strained hands and wrists.
Ultrasound Therapy
In this type of therapy, a therapist addresses carpal tunnel symptoms with an ultrasound device. Sound waves from the ultrasound increase your hand and wrist’s temperature. In turn, the heat can soothe and heal hurting tissues.
Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery
If you have a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome, treating it via surgery is the best option. A surgeon will make a little incision in your palm. This cut will be near your wrist so that your physician can work on the affected area. Once the incision is made, your doctor will open the affecting ligament and close the cut.
Treatment for Chronic Conditions
Carpal tunnel symptoms can worsen due to obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions. Thus, we advise checking for any underlying causes of your achy carpal tunnel with your doctor.
Does Carpal Tunnel Go Away?
Most of the time, treating carpal tunnel syndrome helps the pain disappear. It also makes sure that you don’t suffer from a permanently damaged hand or wrist. However, leaving an achy carpal tunnel untreated could lead to chronic, worsening symptoms. In this case, you can look for treatments that’ll help you manage your pain.
How Can You Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Taking the steps below can help you avoid carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Shed some pounds. Keeping a healthy weight can help decrease your risk of getting carpal tunnel pain.
- Treat any condition that might trigger a hurting carpal tunnel.
- Try not to bend, stretch, or twist your hands for too long whenever you’re performing repetitive tasks.
- Don’t work with your arms too close or too far from your body.
- Don’t rest your wrists on hard surfaces for too long.
- Instead of using your dominant hand, alternate between hands for your tasks.
- Make sure your tools fit your hands just right.
- Stop repetitive hand motions as often as you can. Frequent breaks will give your hands and wrists time to rest.
- Adjust your chair’s height to align your forearms with your keyboard. This tip also keeps you from bending your wrists to type.
Ease a Hurting Carpal Tunnel with the Right Treatment
Like other musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome can keep you from doing tasks and activities. The right treatment will help you deal with an achy carpal tunnel so you can get back to your work or hobby.
LifeClinic offers chiropractic care, physical therapy, and rehabilitation to help with carpal tunnel relief. We’ll help you relieve your symptoms and restore your wrist’s function through personalized care. Start your recovery at a LifeClinic location near you today.
