Tue 23 Jun 2009
At some point but you may not have thought it would be something you suffered from. There are many things that can cause it, poor posture and overuse at the keyword is one of them. Initially, you will feel pain, but as the condition progresses, you may also feel weak and numbness. While your doctor wants you to think about surgery, you may not be sure about this just yet.
You should think very hard before having surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. The fact is that many people suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome but have found alternative methods of relieve rather than resort to surgery. Surgery can solve the problem quickly, but is it as long lasting as you need it to be? Is it even in your price range?
Take the time to truly learn about and understand carpal tunnel syndrome and what causes it to occur. Most cases are found in the wrists. It is generally caused by repetitive action, or the movement in the same way over and over again. It can happen to baseball players pitching too much or it can happen to anyone doing any job that involves this movement over and over again. This motion repeats so often that the transverse carpal ligament tightens up. The ligament is crucial because it holds in place all of the ligaments in the wrist.Over time, it grows worse. The ligament will tighten up, as described, and that places a good amount of pressure on the median nerve in this region. It inflames and becomes painful. This may be presented as a tingling or even a numbness.
The process only worsens. This ligament tightens put which leads to added pressure on the median nerve, which then is inflamed and painful. Often, this leads to a tingling, numbness in the region. Your wrists and hands may feel weak and many times, there is pain running through the wrist, into the hand and fingers and even straight up the arm, right along the nerve pathways. The more you do this action, the more pain you are in and ultimately the more difficult it is to perform the action.
While the surgical procedure designed to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome is not difficult it is invasive. The relief comes from the severing of the transverse carpal ligament. While this is not a problem, initially, over time it leads to weakness in the arms and later the hands. It does relieve the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome rather quickly though.
You will need at least six weeks to recover which includes therapy. The procedure does have risks and it will only be known what it has accomplished after healing has been completed. It is because of these aspects of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome that some individuals look for alternative treatments. To loosen the ligament, try stretching it regularly especially right before and after the repetitive motion. When you flex this ligament in this way, you keep the amount of pressure to the bare minimum. In addition to this, you should incorporate proper posture into your activities.
Through stretching and exercise, you can essentially lessen or completely mitigate the effects of carpal tunnel. By stretching the transverse carpal ligament, you can ensure that the median nerve will have no lingering exposure to pressure. Good posture and taking a few breaks from the repetitive tasks can also be a big help. Besides that, surgery can cost upwards of $10,000, and who has that kind of money when you can do stretches for free?
However, if other methods have failed to relieve your carpal tunnel pain, then it may be that surgery is right for you. Make sure you get some second opinions and know all of the conditions that apply to your surgery. Some time spent working with your doctor and physical therapist before hand can go a long way.
