We use our hands for everything. Opening jars, typing an email, pulling weeds from the patio, brushing your hair. What if those daily activities caused you pain? For people dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, even the most common movements can be painful.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand due to pressure on the median nerve. This nerve runs the length of your arm through a passage in the wrist called the carpal tunnel.
Anywhere from 4-10 million Americans suffer from the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition can be caused from swelling in the wrists due to diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as repetitive motions that overextend the wrist.
Typing Tips
While it’s not proven that typing causes carpal tunnel syndrome, the position of your wrists while typing can definitely aggravate the symptoms. To help alleviate pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, pay attention to the following:
· Posture. Poor posture while sitting at your desk not only leads to back pain, it can also cause wrist pain. If you sit with your shoulders rolled forward it shortens your neck and shoulder muscles, which puts strain on the wrists. Therefore, it’s important to sit up straight, shoulders rolled back, to allow wrists to relax while typing.
· Wrist position. Make sure your keyboard sits at a position where your wrists are in a neutral (straight) position while typing, not slanted up or down. You also want your elbows to rest at your side at a 90 degree or greater angle.
· Use keyboard shortcuts. The less typing and pressure you can put on your wrists the better. Learn keyboard shortcuts to help lessen the amount of typing you do each day. You might even be able to use voice recording for certain jobs to replace typing.
· Avoid wrist rests and ergonomic keyboards. While marketing materials lead you to believe these tools are helpful in avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome, they might actually be detrimental. Wrist rests put extra pressure on the nerve, which could lead to more symptoms. Ergonomic keyboards aren’t as intuitive to lifelong typists, which leads to more time at the keyboard. The best bet is to practice good posture and keyboard position.
· Take breaks. Every hour or so take a few minutes away from the keyboard to stretch your wrists.
Chiropractic Help
Adjusting your regular routine and paying attention to posture and wrist position are some ways to help reduce the pain and numbness associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Chiropractic treatment can also help with pain relief. Dr. Scott Foster is one of few chiropractors in the Clemmons and Triad area of North Carolina certified as an extremity practitioner. He can help patients with joint manipulation and spinal adjustments to help alleviate pain. Other non-invasive interventions include stretching and strengthening exercises, and help with better posture and movement techniques.
If you’ve experienced pain from carpal tunnel syndrome, call the office of Foster Chiropractic Sports and Wellness to schedule your appointment..