How To Avoid Carpal Tunnel – For those of you who work in front of a computer for a long time, fingers sometimes feel weak, numbness, or tingling. Do not ignore this condition because it may be a sign of your being affected to a syndrome called carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs when the median nerve is subjected to pressure. The median nerve is located in the palm of the hand and is also called the carpal tunnel. These nerves make the thumb, index, middle finger, and sweet fingers have the ability to feel a certain sensation.
How to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome will be discussed in full in this article. Some symptoms such as tingling or numbness in your fingers when doing a job or favorite hobby that suppresses your hand and wrist can be avoided in some way that will be discussed below.
Read also: Numbness In Hands While Sleeping: 4 Causes, and Treatment
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Causes
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve where the nerve gives the feeling in the thumb and all your fingers except the little finger when the median nerve passes through the wrist, passing through a narrow path (carpal tunnel) made of bone and ligament.
If you experience swelling in your wrist, this tunnel will squeeze and pinch your median nerve. Here’s how to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome:
How To Avoid Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be prevented in several ways:
Avoid bending your wrist
The bent hand can trigger the CTS. For example, if working on a computer, adjust the sitting position and the table to make the keyboard position as high or slightly lower than the elbow.
Resting your wrist
If you’re working or doing your hands on your wrist, take a break more often to avoid pressure on the carpal tunnel.
This provides an opportunity on your muscles as well as your nerves with excessive pressure.
If possible, move with different hands alternately. Don’t just rely on your right or left hand.
Stretch out
Stretch periodically, for example by bending and rotating your wrist, or stretching your fingers.
Improve sleep position
Although the problem lies in the hands and fingers, the sleep position may also affect the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Sleeping in a position with the head on the hand to make the wrist get a lot of weight and pressure. Sleep habits like this can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Just like prone, the same thing applies to sleep with the hand position behind the head. To prevent the condition of CTS, you should reduce sleep at night with such positions.
If you do not knowingly perform this position while sleeping and feel tingling in the hands, then change your sleep position. Well, it is advisable to sleep on your back with a hand beside the body.
Sleep with a fixed-straight wrist position
The position is done to avoid bending the wrist.
Use gloves
If working in a cold environment, wear gloves so that the hand is not cold. Cold temperatures can cause pain and stiffness in the hands.
Watch the power of hands
In going through daily activities, we are often accustomed to doing something in a certain way without thinking the risk of danger. You may have used more power than needed to get the job done. For example, holding the appliance too heavy or pressing the computer keyboard is too loud.
Well from now on, we recommend to watch the strength of the hand and avoid heavy physical activity that triggers the tension of the hand muscles.
Read also: Carpal Tunnel Stretches – 4 Stretches to Ease Your Pain
How To Avoid Carpal Tunnel Video
CTS can attack one or both palms of your hand. To treat it, you can use bandages on the wrist, therapy, take anti-inflammatory drugs, change the lifestyle to be healthier, until the surgery as the last option.
Read also: How To Cure Carpal Tunnel Syndrome