If you have ever felt a burning sensation in your forearm, or your fingers and palms have pain in them after typing emails, or doing reports for work, Carpal tunnel syndrome could be affecting you. Repetitive things done with your hands can cause ligaments and nerves to tighten up and cause CTS.
Not taking care of your wrists and hands can be a very serious thing. CTS can affect your life to the fullest and take away some of things you normally do on an everyday basis. Try going through the day and not using your hands at all? Having a hard time? This is only one of the things you will have to endure with CTS.
But what is carpal tunnel syndrome and what can you do to prevent it from happening to you? Carpal tunnel syndrome is an extremely painful condition that starts off with tingling, numbness, a burning sensation, or a cold feeling in the hands. These symptoms can also be prevalent in the forearm and elbow depending on the amount of time the symptoms have been showing. For some, even loss of functionality in the hands and fingers can result! Imagine the lost productivity there! It can even cost you weeks of rehabilitation? Other conditions may occur because you may adjust your body posture to ease the pressure on your wrists. This may result in secondary symptoms such as back pain, neck pain or even shoulder pain.
Spotting the symptoms is one thing, knowing what it is, is something else. Carpal tunnel syndrome starts when the median nerve, which is the nerve that runs down your arm and through your wrists, becomes compressed. The compression starts when the transverse carpal ligament is strained and becomes tightened. This ligament is vital to your everyday routine because it allows the hand to maneuver and function, as well as give you strength. If you are not keeping loose, you are inviting pain everyday, and you need to do some preventative maintenance.
It has been known that there are various ways to treat CTS. The most popular way is surgery, because it relieves the pain almost immediately. However some doctors and patients both say that surgery isn’t always the best method to treat CTS because of what is involved in doing it. If you opt for surgery, the surgeon will completely sever the transverse carpal ligament to relieve the pressure from the median nerve. This has been known to be a very effective way to treat CTS, however could have some unknown long term effects that vary from person to person.
If you are looking to beat CTS, the best way to approach it is the natural way. Having a good diet and exercise regimen is key to helping keep your body in condition. A couple of other approaches to try and keep your hands and wrists in good shape, is to do stretching exercises, and taking extra breaks to give your wrists a rest. Keeping the circulation going through your hands and wrists is a good thing, try shaking out your hands to help keep it flowing in your hands.
Tom Nicholson has made available to the public his unique carpal tunnel exercises that can ease pain and discomfort for any carpal tunnel sufferer. Discover a way to help yourself without resorting to surgery. click here to reduce your suffering and improve your quality of life by doing a series of simplecarpal tunnel exercises.
by Scott Fisher
As time passes, you may have noticed that some parts of your body have aged more rapidly than others, especially your knees. Many middle age men and women suffer from knee problems like tendonitis, arthritis, and a limited range of motion. If you are unhealthy or overweight, you are more likely to have knee problems. This is why it is important to achieve knee fitness over 50.
Knee health is a vital part of fitness over 50. If you are over 50, it is even more critical that you strengthen and protect your knees. All day long, your knees bear your weight as you walk, stand, go upstairs, and do many other basic activities. If you have weakened muscles and tendons, they are not adequately absorbing shock before it travels to your knee joint and causes damage. This damage can wear down your joint and eventually limit your range of motion and load bearing ability. Therefore, if you want to remain independent later in life you must keep your knees strong.
Warming up before any exercise is critical to protecting your knee. Start by walking around to stretch your thigh muscles and loosen your joints. Next, bend your leg and slowly lift your knee up to your chest. Do this at least 10 times per knee. Finally, hold your ankle in your hand and gently pull your leg up behind your back. This will stretch out the muscles that support your knees while you exercise. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times per knee.
You can exercise your knees at any intensity level. Leg press and leg curl machines give you the ability to add as much resistance as you want. If machines are not for you, you can do leg lifts, short-arc leg extensions, hamstring curls, leg swings, and partial squats. Your exercises should work your knees from various angles and directions to make sure your knees can support you through a full range of activities. Finally, exercises to lose weight will greatly help because they will lighten the load your joints have to bear.
Fitness over 50 for your knees includes strengthening your thighs and calves. Also, you must keep your tendons flexible. Yoga is a great way to stretch and tone your leg muscles and tendons. Yoga instructors can show you which movements will be benefit your knees. Pilates is also effective to strengthen your knees because it uses your body weight as resistance.
If your knee is weak, you may find needed support and relief using a knee brace. There are many different types of braces. If you have a previous injury, your doctor may give you a rehabilitative brace to prevent certain activity. People suffering from arthritis often use a unloader brace for support. Otherwise, a basic functional brace should give you enough support during your exercises.
If you happen to overwork your knees you should rest. If you have pain, redness, or swelling you should take a break for two or more days. If the problem persists, you should talk to your doctor. He can help you develop an exercise plan for fitness over 50 that will benefit your knees. He may also recommend vitamin supplements for joint health.
Strengthening, toning, and stretching your legs increases your knee health. Healthy knees are important if you want to climb stairs or take a stroll with loved ones later in life. Caring for your knees now will give you the support you need in your 70s, 80s, or even later.
