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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Protection

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage that runs through the wrist that is crowded by nerves, blood vessels and tendons. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the swelling of overused or injured tendons that compress the nerves running through this area in the wrist. Repetitive, forceful movements of the hands cause the swelling of the tendons. This causes numbness, tingling, burning and aching in the wrists. Severe cases of carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain to shoot through the arm to the shoulder. If the damage is left unchecked, then permanent muscle and nerve damage may occur.

  1. Stay in Shape

    • Keep the body's circulation and repair system working like it should. Eat nutritiously, get adequate sleep and rest. Exercise regularly and get rid of excess body weight, which can compress the nerves. Try to keep your weight within 10 pounds of your ideal weight. Stop smoking in order to promote good circulation. Avoid powerful, repetitive, high speed movements. Apply just the right amount of force needed to accomplish your tasks.

    Body Position

    • Become aware of your sleeping position. Wrists that are bent or tucked under your head or pillow can cause nerve compression. Try to train yourself to rest your wrists flat on the mattress. Do not prop your head on your hands. To help train yourself, wear a splint around your wrists while sleeping. While awake keep your body and wrists in a comfortable position. Keep your posture straight and not bent. Try not the hunch over. When working at a computer, try to keep the monitor at eye level. Rearrange the keyboard so you do not have to strain or bend the wrists to type. It should be at elbow height and your wrists should be in a straight line with your forearms. Keep your workstation so that everything is within reach. Watch for pressure points. Do not rest your wrists on the sharp edges of a desk or table.

    Take Breaks

    • Tiredness in the joints and muscles is the body's signal that you need to take a break or change your movements. Shake out your hands when they start to feel tired. Walk around in order to increase blood circulation. Stretch out your arms. Take a one to two minute break every 20 to 30 minutes to help decrease the impact of repetitive movements. Rotate your jobs in order to avoid doing the same task for more than a few hours at a time. This reduces job stress and minimizes production losses due to taking sick leave for carpal tunnel syndrome. If you are working on a job that has limited rotation opportunities, then talk to your supervisor about instituting a rotation program.

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