RCSprogram

Archive for January, 2010

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) are usually gradual in onset and are often not recognized for what they are until they progress and become persistent. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve in your wrist. It is a painful condition that can make normal daily activities painful and interfere with your work. It is a progressive condition, meaning that it starts out as small inconveniences or discomforts and grows into a persistent pain. Symptoms taken individually and that appear only once in a while are usually not a cause for concern, maybe a warning to pay attention and think about altering your habits. When the symptoms begin to occur frequently or are consistently associated with certain tasks they are a cause for concern.

You can often stop the progression of the syndrome by changing how you do certain tasks, reviewing how your work station is set up perhaps? Dealing with the condition by altering your habits or stretching is a much better alternative to surgical intervention if you can avoid it. Recognition is a key in preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome progressing to a debilitating situation. Listed below are 10 symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to be aware of.

• Waking up with “sleeping” hands. Early symptoms often occur at night in one or both hands due to sleeping positions.
• Need to “shake out” your hands or wrist, especially first thing in the morning.
• Sensation of swollen or clumsy fingers, even though there is no obvious or very little swelling seen.
• Decreased grip strength. May be difficult to make a fist, pick up small objects or do other fine motor tasks.
• Pins and Needles. The feeling of tingling in your hand and/or fingers during the day.
• Hot and Cold. Sensation may be decreased so that you are unable to differentiate between hot and cold by touch.
• Pain in the arm and shoulder with hand swelling which increases at night.
• An occasional aching in the forearm between the wrist and elbow.
• Worsening numbness or pain while using your hand or wrist, especially when gripping with your hand or flexing your wrist.
• Persistent wrist pain with accompanying pain in the palm side of the hand, usually excluding the little finger as it is on a different nerve track.

Any of these symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that occur consistently are a warning that you may be developing a problem and its time to take action.