What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?

Having stepped over the turn of the 21st century, mankind has faced new diseases that did not exist before. This is due to a change in lifestyle and working conditions.

In neurology, cases of the so-called carpal tunnel syndrome, which is also called corporal carpal syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome, have become increasingly common.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed between the muscles and bones of the wrist. And it turns out that the median nerve is, as it were, clamped in a kind of tunnel.

Carpal tunnel syndrome appears after a long monotonous monotonous work in which a person works with the wrist. Such work includes playing the piano, working at a computer, driving a car, drawing, writing with a pen and other types of work. If you do these types of work daily and for several hours in a row without rest and break, it is likely that carpal tunnel syndrome will not take long.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs more often in females, since in women the median nerve canal is anatomically narrower than in men.

How does carpal tunnel manifest itself?

Tunnel syndrome is manifested by numbness, tingling and pain in the zones of innervation by the median nerve. These zones include the thumb, index and middle fingers.

Naturally, right-handers are affected by the right hand, and left-handers - the left hand. It is also common for patients to experience weakness in their hand, which causes them to let go of the object they are holding. Patients complain that they cannot hold any object in their hand and drop it. Quite often already in the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome there is a feeling of tingling, numbness and pain in the fingers.

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome appear gradually, becoming more pronounced over time.

Risk factors for developing carpal tunnel syndrome:

• Working factor – work with monotonous bending – extensor movements of the hand, the presence of constant vibration in the workplace.
• Anatomical factor – a dislocation or fracture of the wrist in the past can lead to compression of the median nerve and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Fluid balance – in case of violation of the water – electrolyte balance in pathological processes or diseases, such as heart failure, pregnancy, there is swelling of tissues and nerves, including the median nerve in the carpal tunnel.
• Inflammatory diseases of the nervous system can lead to damage to the median nerve and tendons, which cause compression of the median nerve.
• Diseases that are accompanied by damage to the nerves (diabetes mellitus).
• Paul – women suffer more often due to the anatomical features of the canal.

Diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome

In identifying carpal tunnel syndrome, it is important to interview the patient, take an X-ray examination of the affected hand, and perform several specific tests.

• Tinnel Test – when tapping over the median nerve at the wrist, the test is considered positive for tingling, numbness, sensory disturbance, and pain.
• Phalen test – for three minutes, bend the wrist as much as possible. The diagnosis is made with a feeling of soreness and impaired sensitivity on the surface of the palms in the region of 1-3 fingers.

Therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome includes medical and surgical methods.

Splinting is used for conservative treatment. To do this, the tire is fixed on the wrist. During sleep, it removes puffiness and relieves symptoms. If pain occurs during the daytime, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is recommended.

 In case of acute unbearable pain, glucocorticoids are prescribed and surgical intervention is recommended in a planned manner.

During surgery, the surgeon expands the median nerve canal. The operation can be performed endoscopically or openly.

Basic methods for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome

In order to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, there are several rules that can be followed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome:

• Watch the position of your hands. If you avoid maximum flexion or extension of the arms, the muscles of the arm will not strain as much and will not swell. When working with a computer, the keyboard must be held at elbow level.
• When monotonous work, control the strength of your actions with your hand. For example, when typing on the keyboard, control the amount of force you apply to the keyboard.
• Proper posture of your back and shoulders will prevent compression of the nerve plexuses in the cervical region, including the nerves that innervate the arm.
• When working, you need to rest, giving rest to your hands.
• Try to keep your hands warm, as working in cold temperatures increases the risk of hand pain with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Following these simple rules, you can save the performance of your hands. And when the first symptoms of carpal tunnel appear, do not delay going to a specialist.