An Obvious Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment is Basic Exercise

When the median nerve is compressed, carpal tunnel syndrome is the result. This can cause pain, numbness and tingling sensations that run through your wrist and hands. There are several causes for this issue, and oftentimes a variety of causes can be cited.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by more serious illnesses, like hypothyroidism, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, and if any of these diseases are likely to be a concern, your doctor needs to screen you for them and to rule them out. If carpal tunnel syndrome is a symptom rather than an issue on its own, you need to get the root causes treated.

Pregnancy and menopause can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome. Both conditions cause fluid retention, which can put pressure on your median nerve. This pressure can cause quite a bit of discomfort during the length of pregnancy or menopause. In these cases, the symptoms often go away once you have given birth or once menopause has finished its transition.

Obesity can cause symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The extra tissue can put pressure on the carpal tunnel, reducing the space available for the median nerve and causing numbness or pain.

Do you take part in any repetitive activities? Things like assembly line work, drawing, painting, typing, knitting and others can make you overuse the tissue of your wrist, causing it to swell. Make sure that you take frequent breaks from whatever you are doing and to give your wrists some relief.

When you have experienced wrist injuries and trauma to the area, you’ll find that you can develop this syndrome right away. If you have broken or sprained any of the bones in the area, you’ll find that carpal tunnel syndrome can be added to the list of pain that you feel there. As long as you follow your doctor’s orders for resting and healing, you should be fine. Also be aware that bone spurs can develop and that they can give you this problem as well; they are diagnosed vie X-Ray

Another thing that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome is smoking, though it is not one of the well known causes. Because smoking will reduce the flow of blood to your median nerve, you’ll find that it can cause symptoms of this condition

Smoking can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, even though many people are not aware of it. Smoking reduces your blood flow to the median nerve, and can cause the symptoms of this condition. When you have two or more of these conditions combined, it probably won’t be long before symptoms begin to show.

If you have noticed that you are getting pain in your thumb, first two fingers and half of your ring finger, you may be seeing the first signs of this condition. (Your pinky is on a different nerve and will not be affected). This pain might extend up to your wrist, and in some cases, it might even spread up to your elbow.

Your little finger will be fine, as it is on a different nerve than the rest. The tingling, pain or weakness can also affect your wrist. Some people also complain of pain in their arm extending up to the elbow. In order to get a diagnosis, you’ll have to see your doctor for tests. The strength of your hands will be checked as well as their appearance. He’ll ask you questions about your health and activities.

If your symptoms are mild, your doctor will recommend some things you can take care of at home. After a few weeks, you can be checked again to see if there has been any improvement. Doing exercises and stretches may help relieve your discomfort.

Beginning treatment of CTS usually involves resting the affected hand and wrist for at least 2 weeks, avoiding activities that may cause more pain, and immobilizing the wrist to avoid further damage. Anti-infalamatory drugs (such as ibuprofin) or diuretics can also be used for this purpose. When the basic habits that caused the CTS initially have been reduced, simple carpal tunnel exercises can help keep the CTS from progressing.