Dear Balanced Life Family,
If you do a lot of work with your hands, you may develop carpal tunnel syndrome. I suffered from this condition a few years ago and had to get treatment from a physician. If I had then the information I’m about to share with you now, I may have been able to avoid a lot of discomfort.
When you have carpal tunnel syndrome you experience numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in your hand. It develops slowly. At first, you're most likely to notice it at night or when you first wake up in the morning. The feeling resembles the "pins-and-needles" sensation when your hand falls asleep. Here are some things you can do to help avoid getting this condition.
Take breaks! Your wrists can hurt from working too long. It’s really important to rest them often. Setting a timer for every 30 minutes can help you to remember. You need to stop your work and take a break.
Exercise your wrist! Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when there’s pressure on a nerve in your wrist. When you keep repeating the same activity your symptoms get worse. While you’re taking a break stretch your wrist, fingers, and the palms of your hands. Make a fist, then stretch and spread your fingers.
Wear a wrist brace! That’s what I had to do and it really helped. My wrist brace had a splint to keep my wrist in the right position. I wore it at work and slept in it (doctor’s orders). In a few weeks, my symptoms were gone. I was back to normal.
Find a physical therapist who can help you with small changes you can make at home and work. They can show you changes that can ease the stress on your wrist and alleviate your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.
Be smart! Take good care of your wrists. They are a small part of your body, but they can cause a lot of discomfort if neglected. Remember these few tips and avoid suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
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