Saving Your Hands From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Most of us rush through our work to finish projects, not considering the health of our bodies and hands. Long hours of sitting at a desk, pounding out text, and surfing the web can have unpleasant effects on our spine, back, and hands. We’ll continue plodding on until we’re racked with constant pain and even injury.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by pressure on the medial nerve, the central nerve of the wrist. It is aggravated by repeated actions of the fingers, hands and wrists. Soreness, numbness, and constant pain are its symptoms.

Spending time now and while your working can prevent discomfort and injury in the long-run. The following 9 steps can alleviate and help prevent the condition.

1 Take frequent breaks. Limit your computer activity to thirty minute and then do a different activity, such as attending a meeting or taking a respite.

2 Avoid flexing or bending the wrists as much as possible. You can do this through maintaining erect posture and keeping your hands level with the keyboard.

3 Modify your position frequently. Train yourself to use your opposite hand for your normal everyday activities and repetitive actions such as tapping the “click” key. This will give your preferred hand a rest.

4 Most of us use more pressure than is needed when writing, typing, surfing, and doing day to day activities. Through being aware of how much force you use, you can further reduce the stress on your appendages.

5 Do the following three exercises at your desk, while waiting in line, or whenever you have a chance. They will reduce irritation and pain.

Hand pushups – place the tips of the fingers of both your hands together with your palms facing each other. Press your hands together and then pull them apart. This looks like your hands are doing pushups against each other. Repeat this exercise twenty times.

Shake your hands as if you had just washed them and were shaking off the water.

Arm and hand stretch – extend your arm with your palm facing the floor and your elbow straight. Spread your fingers and use the other hand to gently stretch your fingers upwards and towards the floor.

6 Use an ergonomic mouse and keyboard. The split keyboard and a vertical mouse with reduce the flexing and bending of the wrist.

7 Strengthen your wrists, hands, arms and shoulders with an ongoing exercise or weight training program.

8 If your condition is advanced, wear a wrist splint. This will reduce flexing and the bending.

9 Medication can reduce the pain. Herbal remedies are preferred because they have no long-term side effects. Ginger, turmeric, boswella, and cat’s claw are anti-inflammatories. Gingko biloba increases circulation and will reduce discomfort. A wonderful product from New Chapter called Zyflamend is jammed packed with anti-inflammatories. It reduces pain in the hands, joints and has a host of other positive benefits. Wrist splints, ergonomic keyboards and mouses, and Zyflamend are available from www.amazon.com

After a few weeks of following these steps, you’ll notice a significant reduction in the soreness. Then you can work with ease and thoroughly enjoy what you’re doing.

Ken Wasil is a freelance writer in addition to writing books. He has written The Quick Style Guide for Writing for the Web and English Usage, A Great Escape: Short Stores for Travelers, Mr. Thoreau Goes to Boston, Rivers of Words, and African Safari Bootcamp for Women. Read samples of short stories from A Great Escape at www.e-stories.org. His books are available at www.amazon.com.

Don’t miss his Free Fridays on Amazon. The Quick Style Guide is free on Fridays between now and the middle of December 2017. And you can download A Great Escape: Short Stores for Travelers at www.payhip.com/b/jkyz and African Safari Bootcamp for Women at www.payhip.com/b/RESS for only $.99, on social discounts.

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