Carpal Tunnel: Tips To Prevent It & Signs To Look Out For
Your body is not built for constant repetitive motion, which can be seen by the alarming number of people who experience problems due to computer typing jobs. Statistics show that carpal tunnel is one the reasons that workers are absent from work for long periods of time. The following guide will show you how to detect early signs of carpal tunnel and a few tips to help you prevent it.
Tips to Help Prevent Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a health issue that could affect you when you perform continuous repetitive movements; this movement adds excess pressure to the median nerve and other tendons in your hands and wrists. The problem can get so severe that you might need surgery. So making sure you take precautions to prevent this problem is important.
Consider some of the following suggestions:
Type Correctly
You should do your best to improve the way that you type so that you do not put too much pressure on your wrist and hands. Make sure you are doing the following:
- Keep your wrist at elbow height or slightly lower so that the median nerve is not bent for long periods of time.
- Try to soften your key strokes as much as possible because hard strokes have a stronger impact on the nerves inside your hand.
Exercises For Your Hands
You probably take enough breaks to give your hands, fingers, and wrists a rest from all that typing, but you might not be exercising your hands. Consider some of the following exercises:
- Slowly move your hands in a circular fashion around your wrists.
- Try to shake your hands whenever you take a break.
- Get your hands in the prayer position, and spread your fingers as far as you can while keeping the tips of your fingers together.
Remember that these tips do not guarantee that the problem won't happen, so make sure you understand what you need to do should you have to report the problem to ensure that your employee pays for your care. You can also talk to a lawyer about this to be well-informed.
Signs That It May Be Too Late
Prevention can only go so far, so make sure you know some of the following warning signs of carpal tunnel syndrome:
- You may start to feel a little numbness in your hands or fingers.
- Your hands might begin to feel weak, which could get worse without treatment.
- There is a chance of developing excessive pain if left untreated.
- You develop numbness or pain in your arm.
You should remember that the pinky finger is not connected to the median nerve, so you won't feel anything on that finger if you are developing carpal tunnel. As you can see, knowing how to prevent this health issue and knowing the signs is important. Visit http://ransomgilbertson.com/ for more information.