hand and wrist pain

A condition wherein there is pressure on the median nerve or the nerve located in the wrist is called the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  This nerve is responsible for supplying feeling and movement to the hand.  Continued pressure on the nerve can lead to weakness, numbness, tingling, and eventually muscle damage in the hand and fingers.

Symptoms

There are a number of symptoms manifested by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  These include weakness of the hand/s with a tendency to drop objects, pain that extends from the wrist up to the arm and shoulder or down towards the palm and the fingers, and tingling or numbness of hand or fingers usually excluding the little finger. The feeling of numbness becomes more frequent as the condition progresses.

Advanced or long-term cases exhibit an obvious wasting away of the muscle under the thumb.  The condition can be confirmed by a health provider by performing simple physical tests. These may include tapping over the median nerve which should cause pain to radiate from the wrist to the hand, or bending of the wrist all the way for about 60 seconds which should result in weakness, numbness, or tingling.

Causes

There are also various reasons being pointed to as being responsible for causing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. People who were born with small carpal tunnel tend to develop this condition.  Factors such as alcohol abuse, obesity, retention of extra fluid during pregnancy or menopause, bone fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, infections, and cyst or tumor on the wrist can all possibly contribute to acquiring the syndrome.  Another cause is the repetitive hand and wrist motion specifically while using vibrating hand tools.

In a typical office environment and even in home offices, one of the tasks that is usually performed by people in a consistently continuous manner is the use of the computer.  There has been much concern about the connection of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and computer use.  Although there remains no conclusive evidence of a connection between the two, health professionals have been forthright in their preventive advises.

Prevention

Aside from avoiding too much repetitive hand and wrist movements, equipment and tools that are designed to prevent hand and wrist injury are highly recommended.  Frequent computer typing requires using ergonomic aids that are meant to improve posture of the wrist.  Some of these are typing pads, padded mouse pads, split keyboards, and keyboard trays. It is also important to ensure correct hand and wrist posture when typing.

Wrists should not be bent upwards when typing.  Therefore, keyboards must be positioned low enough to avoid this awkward hand position.  There should also be breaks in between typing to relieve hand and wrist stress. Computer users must stop typing when hand or wrist pain as well as fatigue sets in.

Treatment

Mild cases can be treated by medication such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroid injections.  Wearing a splint can also help relieve symptoms.  Rest and hot or cold compresses can be very helpful in easing the pain and discomfort.

Advanced cases will require surgery that is done for the purpose of cutting the ligament pressing on the nerve.  The success rate for carpal tunnel syndrome operation is quite high although the healing period may take months. Proper treatment prevents complications.  Treatment that is provided too late may not be able to prevent permanent, irreversible damage.

My Say

Advances in technology can sometimes result to undesirable medical consequences.  Even with the absence of conclusive evidence that regular computer use alone can cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, many manufacturers of hand held and operated devices have already come up with advisories.  This is with regards to the possibility of acquiring the condition specifically with the failure to observe proper body and hand posture as well as excessive, strenuous, and continuous use of hands and wrists.