With office work, typing, and repetitive tasks being a large part of so many jobs, it’s no wonder that carpal tunnel syndrome affects so many people across North America. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition where the median nerve in the arm is squeezed at the point it passes through the wrist. This usually happens when the tendons in the wrist are swollen and press on the nerve.
This leads to joint pain, tingling, and/or numbness in the wrists, hands, and fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome is very uncomfortable for many people and can be triggered by different actions, depending on the cause. Typing or other repetitive actions at work are a very common action that can cause the pain or numbness associated with carpal tunnel. It can also be caused by other factors, like a thyroid disease or pregnancy. In addition to repetitive motion, you are also at a higher risk for carpal tunnel if you work with vibrating machinery.
Physiotherapy for carpal tunnel can work to alleviate pain and other symptoms associated with the condition. The goal of your physiotherapist is to avoid long term damage or any surgical intervention to treat your carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
While there is no medication to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, there are a variety of carpal tunnel syndrome treatments that your physiotherapists can recommend or help with. Compression tactics are often the most common, such as sleeping with a splint at night to help stabilize the wrist and reduce the swelling that is pinching the median nerve.
Depending on your line of work and what caused your carpal tunnel syndrome, working splints may also be appropriate. Your physiotherapist can work with your doctor as part of your healthcare team to decide if a working splint would be a good carpal tunnel syndrome treatment.
Another option which is also used to treat arthritis in the wrist is steroid injections. These can be painful, but can alleviate the pain and numbness associated with carpal tunnel syndrome for weeks or months after they are completed. In partnership with proper care and exercises, steroid injections can abate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome in the long term.
Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are a variety of exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome you can complete alongside your other treatments or alone to reduce the symptoms. These simple exercises can help increase mobility and reduce or even eliminate the pain or numbness.
Simple exercises such as bending your wrist back and forth, either empty handed or holding a weight, flexing your wrist forward and gently pushing it down with your other hand, bending your fingers forward, and squeezing a stress ball can all alleviate the pain and keep it away in the long term. Complete each exercise around 10 times once per day – that’s all it can take to help keep symptoms away alongside other treatment.
Contact Physio Art Today
If you’re suffering from hand or wrist pain that you believe could be carpal tunnel syndrome, contact Physio Art. Our professional and experienced physiotherapists can help you with pain management and treat your carpal tunnel syndrome as part of your healthcare team.
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