A painful condition that upsets the hand and wrist is known as Carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS. Carpal tunnel syndrome arises due to repetitive strain either on the wrist or on the hand. Anyone who uses his or her hand and wrist in same repetitive way is more at risk of getting CTS.
People in the professions like hairdressers, machinists, computer operator, gardeners etc. are more prone to CTS.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A painful condition that upsets the hand and wrist is known as Carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS. Carpal tunnel syndrome arises due to repetitive strain either on the wrist or on the hand. Anyone who uses his or her hand and wrist in same repetitive way is more at risk of getting CTS. People in the professions like hairdressers, machinists, computer operator, gardeners etc. are more prone to CTS.
In the start of carpal tunnel syndrome, patient can feel tingling or burning sensation in hands or fingers. Mostly these symptoms occur at night when the person is sleeping. Bending wrist while sleeping can cause this disorder. Flexing your wrist or its bending can aggravate the symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. Sooner or later, you will get disturbed at night with this tingling or burning sensation. If it’s not taken into consideration and left untreated, it can lead to lose holding strength. And even the muscle at the thumb’s base which is also known as thenar muscle, gets wasted away.
When the main nerve in arm and hand gets compressed, it results in carpal tunnel syndrome. The nerve that gets compressed is known as median nerve. Median nerve starts from the lower neck and passes through the shoulder, down the arm to the hand. A link is created from brain and spinal cord to the fingertips by this median nerve. The nerve passes through a narrow tunnel at the wrist which is known as carpal tunnel. While passing from neck to hand, the nerve can get entrapped anywhere. The compression created on the nerve doesn’t allow it to function properly and the nerve gets squeezed, creating a carpal tunnel syndrome.
Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome usually starts slowly. You might feel a pain in your wrist that may in the long run move into your hand or forearm. The other symptoms patients can experience are:
• Numbness or tingling in hand and fingers
• Increased pain when moving hand or wrist
• Weakness and difficulty gripping objects
• Noticeable pain in wrist, palm or forearm
• Increased pain and/or numbing while trying to sleep
Massage therapy research has revealed that massage can decrease and slow down the advancement of carpal tunnel symptoms. So if you are in a high risk group where repetitive activities of hand and wrist cannot be eluded, you might consider incorporating massage into your lifestyle.
Combining consistent weekly massages with self-massage techniques and gentle stretches will help in relieving from your disorder.
