Our hands are important. They are the reason we draw, write, type, eat, and interact with the world at large. They are a unique feature of the human species with opposable thumbs and give us dexterity in situations that no other animal species can achieve. So, it would stand to reason that it is important to preserve them and keep them protected from long-term damage.
One of the biggest and most common forms of damage that can occur to our hands and wrists is carpal tunnel syndrome. Most people who have spent their lives typing away in an office might already have heard about this issue. But there are unique causes, as well as driving factors that can lead to wrist pain and lack of mobility. So, we are going to talk about what carpal tunnel is, what we can do to prevent it from getting worse, and what type of treatments are available.
What are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel?
Pressure to the median nerve causes carpal tunnel syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic. But what is the median nerve? The median nerve is a major cable like structure that flows down the arm and through the wrist. From there it spreads to each finger, and serves as a wire from our brain to the fingers. Electrical impulses run our nervous system from the brain to every mobile part of our bodies, and back. If you think about it, our nervous system is our own electrical wiring.
The median nerve flows through a ring of bone that makes up our wrist. This bone, the carpal bone, serves as a protective ring around the muscles and nerve that connects our arm and hand. Most of the time, the placement is perfect, and there is little irritation on the wrist. However, with carpal tunnel syndrome it acts a little differently.
Our median nerve sits close to the bone on top of layers of muscle tissue. Meaning that it can easily get squished between the muscle and bone. This often pinches the nerve, interrupting the signals flowing through the median nerve. The effects of the pinched wire is not unlike a garden hose getting a kink. The disruption of electrical signals from our brain to our hands causes tingling, numbness, wrist pain, and all around general weakness in the arm or hand. This could look like an inability to hold objects while feeling the sensation of an electric shock. There is also a constant numbness, not unlike your foot falling asleep. People often try to ‘shake it out’ but the numbness will often persist if the condition gets worse.
An important thing to note is that people often confuse arthritis with carpal tunnel syndrome because of swollen joints in the hands. While it might seem like carpal tunnel from the location of the joint pain, carpal tunnel does not localize in a specific spot on the hand. Instead, it affects the whole appendage. It is also important to talk to a doctor before you self diagnose this kind of thing, since the two conditions are vastly different in causes and treatment.
Surprising Unknown Causes of Carpal Tunnel
Most people do not realize that there are factors that increase the risk factor for carpal tunnel. Most of the public are aware of factors that can be helped, such as repetitive motion and certain types of arthritis. But no one talks about the factors that people can’t control, such as biological sex, body fluid changes, and other medical conditions.
For example, women are much more likely to get carpal tunnel syndrome than men. Not that men can’t get it at all, but the increased risk of the condition comes from the smaller size of a woman’s bone structure. It makes sense when you try to picture the same size hose getting pulled through a tunnel. If the tunnel is larger, the hose is less likely to get pinched or touch the outer edges. If the tunnel is smaller however, it is much more likely to touch the edge, and squeeze the hose.
Pregnancy is also a major factor for getting carpal tunnel syndrome. When a woman is pregnant, her body fluids swell, usually after 30 weeks gestation. This swelling happens in the blood vessels, causing the surrounding muscles in the wrist to pinch the nerve between them and the bone. Most of the time, the nerve damage is reversible for pregnant women, so doctors tend to err on the more conservative side for treatment. This also happens during menopause with the same body fluid changes, and swelling occurring during hormonal changes.
Other conditions that cause swelling or fluid retention, such as kidney failure, thyroid disorders, also increase the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. There are even medications that are taken to treat breast cancer that also is a risk factor for carpal tunnel. This is because it all depends on a combination of either inner or outer stressors that might pinch the nerve.
Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Not all cases of carpal tunnel syndrome are created equal. For example, there might be some minor irritation from repetitive motion. That can be solved with basic wrist exercises and adjustments in motion. The carpal tunnel that comes from pregnancy is also temporary, since no woman is perpetually pregnant their whole lives. In the case of medication, it might just be a simple step of finding an alternative treatment, or just dealing with the side effects if it means saving your life. So, surgery is not always required for these situations. There are other treatments that exist are not as extreme as surgery, but are still not dismissive of the problem
A few of the more simple steps a person can take without a diagnosis from a doctor would be a combination of the following:
- Taking frequent breaks to rest your hands
- If repetitive motion is causing the problem, taking breaks can lessen the irritation that comes from repetitive motion.
- Avoiding activities that could make your symptoms worse
- Going for a few rounds of tennis after typing for 10 hours straight is probably not a good idea. Space out wrist heavy activities.
- Applying cold packs to reduce swelling.
- Cold can disrupt and slow down the blood flow of the wrist and overall decrease inflammation.
But what if the problem is more serious but you are hesitant about surgery? If you catch it early enough, your doctor or a hand specialist can help with these treatment options:
- A Wrist Splint
- There are medical devices that can hold your wrist in place at night while you are sleeping. This can relieve any undue pressure on your wrist, and if you are pregnant, there is little risk of hurting your body or the baby with medications.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Most of these are what you would find over the counter, such as ibuprofen and acetominiphin, (I.E: Advil, Tylenol, Motrin etc.) While it works on a short-term basis to relieve pain, there are medical complications that happen when you take them too long.
- Coricosteroids
- Cortisone is a type of steroid that works as a pain reliever. It is often injected into inflamed areas of the body or taken in pill form. However, they are often considered too strong, and the side effects, such as nerve damage, and joint infection could not be worth it.
Surgery is often an option, and it is considered to be a more permanent solution to the problem. This is when carpal tunnel syndrome persists for a long period of time and cannot be managed with basic treatment.
If you think you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you should go to a doctor, where they can treat you for something serious. Especially if the irritation lasts longer than a couple of weeks.