Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the Workplace

People who work for hours using a computer may experience tingling and numbness in their wrist and fingers. With the lengthy periods they spend typing on their computers, they tend to ignore these warnings, assuming they are just temporary discomfort. However, orthopedic surgeons caution against disregarding tingling, itching and burning sensations in the palm of the fingers.

The reason is that these could be symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition wherein major nerves in the wrist become compressed. When left untreated, the tingling sensation may aggravate and cause the hand to lose grip strength. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial in order to prevent permanent damage to the median nerve.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a complaint that individuals working in the office often experience. It is a type of repetitive strain injury that affects the medium nerve, which extends from the palm of the hand to the forearm. The median nerve is enclosed by bones and tendons at the base of the hand, also called the carpal tunnel.

There are various reasons for its occurrence, but there are certain factors that put office workers at high risk for carpal tunnel. These are repetitive variation and lifestyle, particularly heavy usage of the keyboard. The other factors are genetics, injury, and underlying health problems, including diabetes, obesity, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Often, a sufferer will feel a piercing pain shooting through the wrist and up the arm. In worse cases, sleep becomes impossible due to the constant pain caused by an injured arm. Relieving the pain is possible through a number of ways such as applying hot or cold pack on the affected area or taking medications. A more effective way is to massage a pain relief cream like MAXX Pain Relief Cream on the sore spot. Through fast-acting ingredients in the formula, pain is alleviated quickly and the sufferer can experience longer hours of relief.

Medical experts advise that people who experience the symptoms seek help right away before the condition gets worse. However, some doctors state that as long as the individual is in good health and there is no neck pain or injury, it is safe to try natural means to address the symptoms. These include changing the setup of the workstation or wearing a brace. This is to keep the wrists in a neutral position to ease stress on the hands. Unhealthy habits such as smoking also need to be stopped since it tends to exacerbate symptoms.

Not every symptom in the hand is caused by trauma to the carpal tunnel. It is possible that no optimistic results are observed even after natural methods to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome are implemented. There are instances when symptoms have progressed rather than improved. When this occurs, it is critical to see a doctor right away. He will perform proper tests and evaluation to determine if the culprit is indeed carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is preventable, especially when it is diagnosed and treated properly. Also, improving habits can help to avoid developing the condition. Provided that treatment is appropriate, recurrence is rare. In most cases, patients who received proper treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome have recovered completely and have gone back to their jobs in a much better condition.