Chiropractora

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is a highly painful condition which is caused as a result of the inflexibility of a particular chief nerve in the wrist. This condition occurs when the central nerve, which extends from the forearm to the hand, is highly stressed or compressed at the wrist.

Cause

Carpal tunnel syndrome can happen during daily activities because of the excessive pressure applied on the wrist nerves while performing lifting or similar types of stress activities. This results in pain, numbness, stiffness or itching in various parts of the hand.

This syndrome is usually associated with hard physical stress and is considered a work-related hazard. The best way to avoid this problem is to reduce or avoid the activities that would put excessive pressure on the hand and fingers.

Symptoms

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are gradual and would start with soreness, stiffness or deadness in the wrist and other parts of hand. There can be severe pain right from shoulder to finger tip.

Later when the problem is at a severe stage, one may feel itching in the hand, pain and reduced gripping capability. The person may even find it hard to shape the fist, grab or carry light objects, and may find difficulty in carrying out physical tasks involving hand operations. Unfortunately, no one is sure why this problem occurs. It is found in certain people because of an innate predilection – that is when the carpal tunnel in the body is not normal and is comparatively smaller or weak. However, the threat of carpal tunnel syndrome is very common in people who perform assemblage line jobs that involve heavy hand movement.

The bones in the human wrist are typically arranged in an uneven manner, in the form of a semi-circle. A tough ligament, known as the carpal ligament, builds a kind of roof above these bones. This forms a passage called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve, as well as the tendons that help the bending of the fingers and wrist, passes along this tunnel. The median nerve is one of two nerves that gives the hand the feeling ability. This nerve also controls some of the thumb muscles.

The carpal tunnel is perfectly and firmly positioned. If any swelling occurs inside or in nearby areas, the tunnel crushes on the medium nerve and generates the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tasks like typing, knitting, playing musical instruments like the piano or violin, or the continuous usage of vibrating tools involve constant wrist moments and may result in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Injured or damaged wrists are also vulnerable to develop this condition easily. Rheumatoid arthritis is yet another factor that would aggravate the problem. The disease Acromegaly is another sitaution where growth hormones are formed excessively. Under-active thyroid gland, fluid retention which is caused by kidney failure and even pregnancy can make pressure inside the carpal tunnel, causing the median nerve to be affected.

It has been found that overweight people, pregnant women, women who use contraceptive pills and those experiencing menopause are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome, even though it seems to come without any apparent reason.

Symptoms of the disease also involve aching, tingling, burning, deadness, or pain in the hand and wrist and also in those areas that are linked to the median nerve (index, thumb, middle finger, part of the ring finger). There are also chances that the pain could spread to the arm as well as the shoulder.

These symptoms of pain would normally be higher at night times and in the early morning. Also after heavy labor or work that involve strenuous wrist movements.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can affect either or both hands with varying severity. In the beginning stage, the symptoms will come and go, but ignoring them would result in chronic pain and would be more difficult to cure. If not treated early, the hand muscles will gradually become feeble and may even result in permanent loss of feeling. Simple tasks like writing would become difficult or even impossible.

Summary:

Carpal tunnel syndrome has become a common problem that happens because of the acute pressure on the wrist nerves that results in aching, deadness, or tingling in various parts of the hand. This can also be a work-related hazard. These types of problems can be avoided by stopping or reducing the activity that exerts pressure on the hands, fingers, and wrist.

Brooke Hayles
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-an-overview-of-the-causes-and-symptoms-55112.html

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Along with the diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comes considerable pain and impairment along with numbness, paresthesia (pins and needles) and loss of hand strength, coordination, and pincer grasp. This impairment is problematic for almost any profession; however, it can be entirely disabling for musicians.

The most widely diagnosed nerve entrapment disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome, is characterized by pain, swelling, numbness, and tingling in the hand and wrist. The disorder stems from excessive stress and strain placed on the arm, wrist, and hand that result from repetitive and/or static (non-moving) flexion of the fingers and wrist. This unidirectional strain causes a muscle imbalance in the hand and forearm, resulting in the stronger, shorter flexor muscles that close the hand to compress the underlying median nerve within the carpal tunnel, which is central to hand, and wrist movement.

The median nerve actually begins in the neck and travels through the shoulder joint through the Brachial Plexus down to the elbow and eventually to the carpal tunnel joint in the wrist. With repetitive unidirectional motions / activities being performed on a regular basis, the imbalanced muscles in the hand and forearm can cause the carpal bones that form the carpal tunnel to become misaligned, creating pressure and pain in the wrist as the bones compress the median nerve within. Critically, it is not only carpal tunnel syndrome that can result from an existing muscle imbalance in the hand and arm, but also other repetitive strain injuries that involve the ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist or elbow junctions. Thus, effective treatment must address muscle length and strength imbalances that may be present in the entire upper extremity region.

For musicians, carpal tunnel syndrome can be akin to a death sentence. Incapacitated through the hand and forearm, musicians may have to modify practice and performance routines. It is impossible to play the piano, strum the guitar, or manipulate the bow of a cello without superb dexterity and responsiveness in the fingers and wrist. Rest is often the first-line recommendation for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, but it is an option that few professionals can afford to take.

Thankfully, there are effective treatments that can protect against the development of carpal tunnel syndrome in musicians and that can curb the impact of symptoms as soon as they emerge. Strategically designed exercises that target specific muscles and groups of muscles in the hand and forearm have been shown to reduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome with ninety percent effectiveness.

If anyone recommends gripping, squeezing, pinching or finger-walking exercises, run the other direction, as these are the exercises / movements that musicians perform too much of in the first place and are the muscles that are already overused on a daily basis. Musicians need to strengthen the opposite muscles that they overuse. It is that simple. Keeping muscle groups with 25% strength of each other will reduce muscle and joint imbalance, reducing the possibility of musicians becoming afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome or other finger, hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder injuries. Balance is the key.

It is important to consult with a physician or healthcare professional before beginning any type of exercises program for the treatment of injuries.

Jeff P. Anliker, Lmt
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-in-musicians-96190.html

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very serious affliction suffered by approximately 3% of the U.S. population, or 9-million workers annually. While symptoms usually begin as a general ache or pain in the wrist and hand, carpal tunnel syndrome is a very serious disorder that can lead to severe dysfunction and possible nerve damage.

Those most at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome are those who have jobs that involve constant repetitive and/or static motion, particularly of the wrists, arms, and hands. While this might instantly bring office workers to mind, this problem stretches well past the basic cubicles of a call center or of a data entry center. Carpal tunnel syndrome actually afflicts more assembly line workers and grocers than computer workers. Grocery checkers are actually considered so highly at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome that even the federal government has singled them out as a group that needs support to combat this affliction.

Men are found to only be 1/3 as likely as women to have carpal tunnel syndrome. The most recognized reason for this is due to the fact that women incur muscle imbalances at a faster rate due to the musculature and their wrists are generally thinner, thus the carpal tunnel is smaller and so it is easier to damage the median nerve that runs through it. Work that requires repetitive flexing of the fingers or wrists will increase the chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Static flexion involving gripping motions such as holding power tools, gripping a steering wheel or holding a pen will also cause the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. Bagging groceries and scanning all the various items, not to mention use of the register, is a major reason why grocery checkers are among the most highly afflicted group of workers.

Grocery checkers are so prone to carpal tunnel syndrome and similar injuries that OSHA has specifically singled them out as a prime example of workers who need special considerations in their work environment. The loss from workers compensation and lost time is enough that many employers have worked hard to introduce injury prevention programs. Many of these employers have reported happily that their efforts have had a positive effect on work-related injuries and workers’ compensation costs. While the following advice was designed specifically for grocery checkers and grocery stores, it is equally valid for fast food, gas station or convenience store clerks, or any workers in a high volume retail environment.

A report by NIOSH revealed that more than 50% of all food cashiers, (jobs predominantly held by women), suffered some degree of carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive strain injuries as a result of the physical demands of scanning products at high speed.

Think ergonomics. What’s that? Well ergonomics is basically a process by which the tools and environment around a worker or specifically designed to help take pressure off the parts of the worker’s body that are going to experience the most stress and strain. This can apply to back, shoulders, neck, but it also very commonly is used in reference to wrists and wrist injuries, especially carpal tunnel syndrome. OSHA highly recommends that all employers in retail look for ergonomic solutions, and in general the employers that have gone that route have reported seeing a positive difference. One of the main reasons why the government and employers have taken so much interest, and why it so much focus has been put on carpal tunnel syndrome in grocery checkers, is because how vital a grocery store is to every single community, and because of the huge amount of employment that these stores create.

Grocery store work can be physically demanding. It is not at all uncommon for many grocery store workers, even in small towns, to handle thousands of items every day to stock shelves, check groceries, operate the register or prepare inventory. Out of all these actions, the four things to look out for when trying to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome are force, repetition, awkward positions, and static postures, all which contribute to the development of muscle imbalances, the main causative factor of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Trying to find a way to do the work that cuts down on these red flags, and the occurrence of work related injuries would decrease. It is in the employer’s best interest to pay attention when an employee gets an injury. There might be some people who don’t think carpal tunnel syndrome is a big deal–but they would be mistaken. If an employee has carpal tunnel syndrome, then how is he or she going to do a job that requires constant hand movement, wrist movement, or anything else along those lines?

Because of the way scanners are situated, and because of the job itself, there is always going to be the repetitive motions, the turning of the wrist to scan a bar code, all the little things that can cause severe carpal tunnel syndrome in workers who are keeping up a grocery store. Knowing that this is a problem, however, is the first step to dealing with it. Through ergonomics, special stretches and muscle balancing exercises, and implementing job rotation to prevent one person from doing too much of one job, carpal tunnel syndrome can be prevented, which is always better than waiting until an actual treatment is necessary.

Jeff P. Anliker, Lmt
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-in-grocery-clerks-106993.html

Technorati Tags: carpal tunnel, grocery clerks

The exploration of ways to help humans adapt to machines or an environment in such a way that won’t be stressful is known as workplace ergonomics. Many people have the notion that workplace ergonomics is only something to do with computers. Not exactly. Computers aren’t the sole focus. Ergonomics also explores the many different causes of pain related to the workplace environment.

The basic concepts behind carpal tunnel ergonomics are discussed here to give people a better idea of how they can be applied. They have been designed to boost energy levels and reduce the effects of the twinge and throb.

Just to be clear, the carpal tunnel is found in both the palm and wrist where the forearm and hand’s tendons and nerves pass. If this area becomes aggravated, it will begin to swell, applying pressure to the nerves, and causing pain. The majority of people suffer this kind of pain when they’ve slept a night in an awkward position or with bent wrists. It’s even sometimes enough to wake people up in mid-slumber because they feel the tingling sensation of pins and needles. Once they wake up, a lot of people simply ignore the pain, setting themselves up for permanent damage to their nerves.

If you want to avoid the increased pain that can result, take a look at these tips. They are simple hints that take into account carpal tunnel ergonomics. They’ll be a big help in improving your comfort level while working.

* Gel pads are available almost anywhere. Get these for the mouse and keyboard you’re using constantly at the office.

* Make sure you wrap padding around all vibrating tools. You can find it at most hardware stores for a few dollars.

* Position your chair in such a way that your wrists are extended over the keyboard straight. With the wrong posture, you can start to develop carpal tunnel syndrome eventually.

* It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to make a tight deadline: take breaks. If you’re so rushed that you can’t remember to do so, get a software program that will remind you with a pop-up on your screen. .

* You can use wrist braces to make sure your wrists stay straight and avoid bending or flexing. The effectiveness of splints and supports has been proven. You can get them at medical supply houses without a prescription from a doctor.

* Once in awhile, do a few wrist exercises like curls and limbering. You can also tie a towel around a gallon of water, turn it over, and hold it tightly. It’s a good option if you don’t own any dumbbells.

There’s also an area of carpal tunnel ergonomics that tries to figure out how to alleviate shoulder pain. Sometimes the ache from carpal tunnel syndrome can reach up to the upper back and arms.

Now, try this exercise: stretch out your arms straight with your thumbs down. Start leaning forward a little and lift your pinkies up high and far back. Keep this position for a count of five, and relax several times.

Jane Wyvern
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/carpal-tunnel-ergonomics-77154.html

While there are a lot of rumors about carpal tunnel syndrome and computer use, it is hard to find a definitive answer on what, if any, actual link there is between the development of carpal tunnel syndrome and the use of computers.

Does computer use increase one’s chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome? If you do a “search” on the internet, you can find several stories that say no, and just as many that say yes . . . sometimes even from the same source! While there are still some conflicting beliefs on how the use of computers affects a person’s chance of getting carpal tunnel syndrome, the injury seems to be more prevalent than ever before.

There is a general belief that working for extended periods of time using a computer will lead to an increase in carpal tunnel syndrome, and that jobs such as data entry lead to higher risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Since carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by constant repetitive or static motion of the hands and wrists, logically this would make sense. There are several studies that initially suggested that the repetitive motion and static flexion involved when using a computer causes irritation and swelling of the flexor tendon sheaths, resulting in the impingement of the median nerve and the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. Though this is not conclusively proven in studies, what is proven is that any task that involves excessive use of the hands in activities that require duration, repetition and force does in fact cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by anything that involves excessive unidirectional movement patterns that require too much force, duration and repetition, as the overused muscles actually become stronger, shorter and tighter than their opposition, the extensor muscles. The stronger flexor muscles begin to compress the carpal tunnel and the median nerve within. The tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel (a small area between the carpal bones and the transverse carpal ligament in the wrist) can become swollen from doing the same movement over and over, like typing on a computer for extended periods of time.

Some people might think that carpal tunnel syndrome is a new condition of the information technology age, born from long hours of computer keyboarding, but carpal tunnel is not new, it just seems to appear more often because the nature of work has changed. More jobs are highly specialized and require the overuse of only a small number of muscles repeatedly, leading to a muscle imbalance. If one muscle group is overused, then the opposing muscle group must be underused. It is basic common sense.

Because of the underlying assumption that computer use contributes to carpal tunnel syndrome, concern from the government and employers continues to grow. Ironically, studies out of the Mayo Clinic released by the government seem to actually show that using a computer does not increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. There are arguments over why this is.

The test showed that those who worked a long period of time every day with computers had the same percentage of becoming afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome as everyone else. One of the suggestions for the reasoning is that the continued use of computers would only affect people who did not practice appropriate form. People who are employed to work with computers are generally better trained in how to type from home row, how to keep their wrists straight, use ergonomic keyboards, chairs, screens, mouse and know how to use good posture.

All of these factors can help decrease instances of carpal tunnel syndrome, which in turn can help keep the number of injuries down. On the other side of the equation, computer use by individuals who hold their wrists and fingers improperly, put unequal pressure on their hands, don’t use ergonomic tools or proper posture may become afflicted with cause carpal tunnel syndrome more frequently than those using appropriate form and proper ergonomic tools.

This may certainly be the reason why the belief that computer use causes carpal tunnel syndrome remains strong, even when testing suggests otherwise. Individuals trained in how to properly use a computer will know what or what not to do in most cases. Computer users engaged in a good ergonomic prevention program at work will know which stretches and exercises to perform, know how to use good posture and utilize the latest ergonomic equipment, and hence not experience the same injuries and muscle imbalances as say someone who does not use appropriate form, ergonomic tools or perform muscle balancing exercises and stretches.

While the studies suggest that extensive use of a computer does not contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, even that piece of information should come with its own caveat, that being that proper use of a computer appears to not increase the chances of carpal tunnel. But people certainly need to learn to use proper posture, use good ergonomic equipment and know appropriate stretches and exercises to perform because excessive use of the computer without proper hand positions or use of poor equipment leads to imbalances in the hands, wrists, forearms and shoulders that can contribute to the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome.

With carpal tunnel syndrome being so prevalent in the past decade, it is best to take all preventative methods available and implement them into one’s daily work regimen. It is easier to prevent an injury than having to address it once it is already present. Prevention is the cure for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Jeff P. Anliker, Lmt
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-and-computer-use-99709.html