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Catch
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Early
If you feel pain and tingling in
your hands, it could be a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Early diagnosis and treatment of
this problem can help relieve the pain and numbness and prevent
permanent damage, says an article in the May issue of Mayo
Clinic Women's HealthSource.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when
a large nerve in the hand becomes compressed. Women are three
times more likely than men to develop the condition. It's not
understood why carpal tunnel syndrome is more common among women.
Protecting your hands may help
ease the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and prevent further
injury. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers the following
precautions:
- Ease up on your hands. Many people
use more force than necessary to perform hand tasks. Type lightly.
Use a big pen with free-flowing ink when you have to write for
long periods of time so that you don't have to grip the pen
as tightly or press as hard.
- Take breaks every 15 to 20 minutes
to stretch or move your hands. These breaks are especially important
if you use equipment that vibrates or requires force.
- Avoid bending your wrist all
the way up or down.
- Maintain good posture. Poor posture
can cause your shoulders to roll forward, shortening your neck
and shoulder muscles, compressing nerves in your neck, and affecting
your wrists, fingers and hands.
- Make sure to keep your hands
warm. If they're cold, you're more likely to develop hand pain
and stiffness.
More information
The American Academy of Family
Physicians has more about carpal
tunnel syndrome.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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