How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

In many cases, the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome start slowly. You might feel some burning or numbness in your thumb or any of your fingers except your pinkie. It is also possible for the feeling to start traveling up your arm. The symptoms also tend to start at night. This is because most people bend their wrists when they sleep, putting pressure on their median nerve.

As the carpal tunnel condition gets worse, you will start feeling the symptoms during the day, most often after you’ve spent a good amount of time doing something where you have to bend your wrist up or down. The symptoms might come and go for a while, but they will get worse and occur more regularly.

Some of the other symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:

• The feeling of swollen fingers, even if they don’t appear swollen.
• Shocks that temporarily come and go in your fingers and your thumb.
• It becomes hard to make a fist, and you feel weakness in your hand.
• You tend to drop things more often or have a hard time manipulating small objects or buttoning buttons.

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually caused by forceful or repetitive wrist motion. This can be anything from operating vibrating equipment to driving a car or working with small instruments.

It’s important to take measures to prevent carpal tunnel before you start feeling any symptoms. Since many different types of activities can cause carpal tunnel, start by increasing your awareness of how you use your hands and your wrists throughout the day.

Following the below tips while at work can help to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome:

• Use an ergonomically correct workstation that includes a wrist pad. Keep a wrist pad at the bottom of your keyboard to help keep your wrists in a neutral, almost straight position when you are not typing. When you are actively typing, keep your forearms raised a little, so your hands and wrists can move freely.
• Center the work in front of you. Keep it as low as you can, but make sure the keyboard or workstation doesn’t touch your legs.
• Keep your forearms parallel to the floor or just slightly lower.
• Keep your hands and wrists in line with your forearms.
• Hold your elbows close to your sides.
• Take short breaks every 15 minutes.
• Don’t lean on your wrists or the heels of your hands.
• Stretch your body and perform some wrist stretches.
• Change your computer mouse. There are many styles to choose from. Some will change the position of your hand and help reduce the stress on your wrist. It might take a few tries to find one that works for you.

Workspace Set-Up

Set the monitor, chair, and desk height so your posture does the work rather than your wrists. Your arms should be parallel to the floor, and your monitor at eye level to protect your shoulders and neck. Keep the desk tidy and clear the clutter, so you are not reaching over things or slouching to get to the mouse, keyboard, or anything else you use through the day.

Body Alignment

Align your hands and wrists with your elbows and forearms, and hold them close to your sides. Avoid leaning on your wrists or on the heel of your hand.

Products That Help

A handful of home office products take the strain off the wrist:

• Monitor stands or laptop arms, to bring the screen level with your eyes.
• A detached keyboard, which makes typing more comfortable.
• An adjustable sit-and-stand desk, to get the height and alignment right.
• Wrist rests or pads, which take pressure off the wrists and let you correct your posture without straining.
• An ergonomic mouse, which keeps you from bending the wrist.
• An ergonomic keyboard, which reduces strain while typing.
• A document holder, which keeps papers accessible and the workspace clear.

If you are dealing with a significant amount of numbness or pain, speech recognition software is worth considering, so you can use voice-to-text instead of typing while the wrist settles.

Image via Flickr by Ryan Finnie

You can also prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by making some lifestyle changes.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Carrying additional weight can slow down how fast the nerves travel to your hand. Extra weight can result in a lack of physical activity, which can increase the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Use a loose grip. No matter what you do, practice it with a loose grip. If you hold something too tightly, whether it’s a paintbrush, pencil, or another small tool, it can contribute to wrist compression and increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. To avoid this, practice some wrist exercises while you work, such as deliberately loosening your grip and shaking your hand while holding a pen or brush.
• Stop smoking. If you are a smoker, it can interfere with blood flow. This can increase your chances of developing carpal tunnel and make the symptoms worse.
• Wear a wrist brace. A wrist brace can help both during the day and at night. It will keep your wrist straight when performing repetitive tasks and also keep it straight while you sleep. Make sure to move your wrist when you take the brace off to keep it strong and flexible, but make sure you don’t put too much stress on it.
• Avoid repetitive tasks. This is easier said than done if your job requires repetition. If you can, change hands to give your dominant wrist a break.

Gamers who spend hours using a keyboard or game controller are at risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Some tips for preventing the symptoms include:

• Take breaks. Give your hands a break by taking some time away from the computer or gaming console. Every couple of hours, get up and move around. This will also improve circulation.
• Use correct posture. Sit up straight and position your screen at a level where you can keep your head up and eyes straight.
• Use an ergonomic mouse. A vertical mouse that changes the position of your wrist might be the answer.

Stretching is another way to help prevent symptoms and relieve pressure on the nerve.

• Rotate your wrist up and down to help relieve any stiffness.
• Prayer stretch. Place your palms together over your head. Keeping your palms together, move your hands downward as far as you can. Hold for five to 10 seconds and repeat.
• Wrist flexor stretch. Put out one hand with the palm toward the floor. Use your wrist to bend the hand upward, and use the other hand to pull back on that hand until you feel a stretch.
• Gently use one hand to push back the thumb on your other hand until you feel a slight stretch.
• Stretch your fingers out, making a space between each finger. Relax your hand back to so it’s flat. You can do this a few times to stretch the tendons that run through each finger.

If prevention comes too late and the symptoms are already there, the first step is a physical examination with a medical professional. Your provider will review your symptoms, gauge hand strength and sensation, and check for tenderness and swelling. A nerve conduction study, ultrasound, MRI, and electromyography may also be used to measure how severe the condition is. If symptoms continue, Dr. Knight at The Hand and Wrist Institute can discuss the options and build a treatment plan, which may include an endoscopic carpal tunnel release or an open release procedure.

If you perform repetitive motion using your hands and wrists, whether it’s for work or a hobby, you could be at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Contact us at The Hand and Wrist Institute for more information about steps you can take to prevent it.

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