Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition caused by excessive pressure on the median nerve, the central nerve in the wrist. This condition can lead to numbness, muscle weakness, and constant pain. Carpal tunnel syndrome can have many causes, such as genetics or work related actions (i.e. repetitive motions). While some causes are not preventable, there are many steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing this condition.

Steps

Taking Care of Your Wrists

1. Maintain a neutral wrist position as often as you can. Carpal tunnel syndrome is most commonly caused by repetitive flexing of the wrist. You can think of this as the position your wrist takes when you say "stop" with your hand. Whether you're typing, eating, or doing some other repetitive movement, you should try to maintain a neutral wrist position as often as you can instead of flexing your wrist. Think of the neutral position as the handshake position -- when you shake someone's hand, you don't have to bend your wrists at all. Carefully monitor your hands to try to maintain this position as much as possible.
2. Take breaks. If you're doing a repetitive activity, whether you're typing or chopping vegetables, take a short break every 10-15 minutes to give your wrists a break. This could mean stretching, performing exercises, or just sitting there without using your wrists. No matter how busy you are, you can always take a 1-2 minute break when needed. Don't let too much time go by without resting your wrists.
   • If you can, try to switch tasks every 20-40 minutes.
   • Additionally, try to change your position as often as you can. You don't want to get "stuck" in one position for too much time.
3. Relax your grip and reduce your force. Most people use more force than necessary when performing daily tasks. Whether you're holding on to a mouse, using a pen, or working a cash register, you should try not to squeeze anything too much or to use too much force. Don't punch the keys on your keyboard or push any other buttons with more force than needed to get the job done. This will keep you from putting too much pressure on your wrists.
4. Maintain your overall health. Though the best thing you can do to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome is to take care of your wrists, studies show that maintaining your overall health can help you have healthy wrists. Make sure to eat at least three healthy meals a day, get regular exercise (around 30 minutes a day), to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and to do whatever else you have to do to feel both mentally and physically sound.
5. Consider wearing a wrist splint if you need one. Wrist splints, when worn correctly, can help you maintain a neutral wrist position without causing any discomfort. You can get a relatively inexpensive wrist splint at the local pharmacy (they typically cost around $15-20), or if you want more help, your doctor or physical therapist can recommend or even order more advanced splints. You can wear these while you work to keep you from bending your wrists, and you can also wear them at night to maintain a neutral position while you sleep; a lot of people sleep with bent wrists.
6. Take NSAIDs if necessary. NSAIDs are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil, and they can be used to reduce pain and swelling in your wrists. Though they won't prevent carpal tunnel, they can certainly ease the pain if they are taken from time to time. Don't make a habit of this, though, because these drugs should not be a substitute for other preventative measures.
7. Keep your hands warm. If you're working in a cold environment, you are more likely to develop pain and stiffness in your hands. Try to maintain a warm temperature where you work, to wear gloves when it's cold outdoors, and to even consider wearing fingerless gloves if you cannot control the temperature indoors.

Being Ergonomically Sound

1. Keep your forearms level with the keyboard. Adjust your chair so that your forearms are level with your keyboard. You shouldn't have to hunch down or reach up to use your keyboard. This position is optimal for keeping your wrists in a neutral position.
2. Maintain proper posture. Sit up nice and tall instead of slouching. This will keep your body from feeling too much strain in any one area, including your wrists. Also, keep your work right out in front of you so you don't have to bend or twist to one side or another to reach it.
3. Keep your hands and wrists in line with your forearms. This will also keep you from straining your wrists too much. If your forearms are level with your keyboard, then this should not be difficult.
4. Use tools that are the proper size for your hands. Using a mouse that is too large or too small can make you strain your wrists and use more force than necessary.
5. Consider using a vertical mouse. A vertical mouse will keep your hand in the handshake position. If you use one of these, you'll never have to flex your wrist when clicking. It does take a little while to get used to the mouse, but once you do, you'll be glad you got one. Though they can be a little pricey ($70 or more, in some cases), they will be well worth it.
6. Consider getting a split keyboard. The split keyboard is a keyboard that splits down the middle, allowing you to type with both hands in the handshake position. You can adjust the keyboard to split a little bit at first, moving it to split more drastically as you get used to it. You can plug it into your keyboard and rest it right over your original board. This will have a dramatic effect for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. These keyboards range from $30 to hundreds of dollars, and it's up to you to decide what kind works best for you. Don't splurge on an expensive split keyboard if you've never used one, though, or you may find that it's not for you.

Treating Your Pain

1. Ice your wrists. Some doctors recommend that you ice your wrists several times a day, when you're feeling pain in that area.
2. Try "hot and cold" therapy. For this form of therapy, you'll need to set up two large bowls of water -- one should be ice cold, and one should be hot (just not so hot that it burns you). Set them up in your sink and place your hands and wrists into the cold bowl for one minute, and then move them into the hot bowl for one minute. Repeat this exercise for ten minutes twice daily to relieve the pain in your wrists.
3. Use a mini foam roller. Use a mini foam roller that is about as wide as a quarter to roll your wrists up and down on it for twenty seconds on each wrist. Just place the roller on your table and gently roll your wrist up and down the roller, giving your wrists a nice, relaxing massage.
4. Get a forearm massage. Either use your other hand or get a trusted massage expert to gently massage your forearms, wrists, and palms to relieve the tension in your hands. Make sure that the massage is gentle and does not cause more pain in the areas that need to be worked out.
5. Use a regular foam roller. Lie down on the roller, so that your back is lined up with the roller, and move your arms out to your sides (think of the "shavasana" pose in yoga). This will open up your back, reducing the strain you've been placing on your back and your arms. Hold this pose for up to a minute. You can also alternate your arms, moving one up above your head, and the other down by your sides, repeating this for a minute. This will shake out and reduce some of the tension in your arms, wrists, and back.
6. Try some wrist exercises. There are many wrist exercises that you can try to both strengthen your hands and wrists and to relieve the tension in your hands and arms. If you make an effort to do these when you take breaks, or just a few times a day, you'll feel your wrists getting stronger. These exercises will both stretch your wrists and build strength where you need it. Here are some exercises you can try:
   • "Pushing the wall." Place your hands straight out in front of you, flexing your wrists, so that you're facing the backs of your hands, as if you were going to push the wall away from you. Hold this position for five seconds, relax your wrists, and repeat at least ten times.
   • Make fists. Simply place your hands into loose fists for at least five seconds, and then let go of the fist for 1-2 seconds. Repeat at least ten times.
   • Make fists and bend your wrists down. Place your arms straight out in front of you, in fists. Now, bend your wrists down slightly and hold this position for five seconds, feeling a deep stretch. Repeat ten times.
   • Stretch your wrists. Place one wrist out in front of you, in the "stop" position, and gently bend back your fingers, holding for five seconds. Then, move your fingers down, toward the floor, and bend your wrist downward, in the opposite direction, for another five seconds. Repeat ten times on each hand.
   • Shake out your wrists. Gently shake out your wrists, as if you washed your hands and were drying water off of them. Do this for about ten seconds at a time. This is a perfect activity to try during breaks, to get some of the stiffness out of your wrists. You can also try gently rolling them as well.
7. Go to a doctor if you are experiencing pain in your wrists. If you start to feel pain, numbness, tingling, or discomfort in your wrists, then you should see a doctor to discuss next steps. One sign that you may be on your way to carpal tunnel is extreme pain when putting your thumbs into fists, and almost no pain in the pinkie finger, which is controlled by a different nerve than the rest of the fingers. A doctor can recommend further tests and treatment, and may even refer you to a physical therapist.
   • Physical therapy can help you learn exercises to prevent further pain, order the proper ergonomic equipment, and change your lifestyle. You may also get a soothing forearm massage, or even ultrasound treatment to help the circulation in your wrists.

Related Articles

• Release Carpal Tunnel Syndrome With Massage Therapy
• Deal With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Relieve Pain from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Sources and Citations

• http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/carpal-tunnel/preventing-carpal-tunnel-syndrome
• http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/office-ergonomics-topic-overview
• http://www.fitsugar.com/5-Things-Preventing-Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome-1101295
• http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/basics/prevention/con-20030332
• http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/ctexercise.htm
• http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome

See also

• Release Carpal Tunnel Syndrome With Massage Therapy
• Wrap a Wrist for Carpal Tunnel
• Exercise after Carpal Tunnel Surgery
• Diagnose Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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