Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The carpal tunnel is a passageway from the forearm to the hand, about the size of your wrist.

Traveling through the tunnel are tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels. Among these travelers are:

• flexor tendons, which assist in flexing your hands

• your carpal bones, otherwise known as your wrist bone

• nerves, including the median nerve 

The median nerve is responsible for the pain, numbness, and tingling associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Because the carpal tunnel is such a small passageway for all it encompasses, it can easily become over crowded. If any of the many systems running through or around the carpal tunnel become irritated or inflamed, it can wreak havoc on your median nerve.

When inflammation happens, the median nerve becomes compressed, creating the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

There are many situations that can lead to the contents of the carpal tunnel to get irritated. The most common reasons include injury to the wrist, repetitive overuse of the hand/wrist, and pregnancy. It can also be a hereditary condition, where anatomic differences can result in a smaller carpal tunnel in some people.

Overuse is the most common injury to the wrists. 

Typing and using a computer mouse activates all of your muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your forearm and hands. Repeating this for a prolonged period of time aggravates the tendons within the wrist, leading to swelling.

How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

There are some preventative measures you can take to ease your carpal tunnel. These include taking a 15 minute break every hour during computer use, performing conditioning and stretching exercises of the wrist and forearm, and sleeping with wrist braces to ensure your wrist tendons get proper rest while you sleep.

Even with these preventative measures, carpal tunnel syndrome can still occur. 

When Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Happens To You

While it can be shocking, the appearance of carpal tunnel syndrome does not automatically mean you are going to need surgery. There are other steps you can take to cure the pain, tingling, and numbness that occurs.