| Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) gets lots of attention, | | | | Those individuals need to be treated by their |
| and most of us are familiar with the idea of what it | | | | physician, but may also benefit from this information. |
| means. | | | | -And a very few individuals who actually have a |
| Maybe you had a diagnosis by a doctor or perhaps | | | | much smaller carpal tunnel than average. They may |
| you are suspicious that you have carpal tunnel | | | | be more prone to CTS, and may be the only true |
| syndrome. Regardless of whether you truly do or | | | | CTS sufferers. |
| not, the fact is that you do have pain, numbness or | | | | If you don't have any of the above, but you do |
| tingling sensations in your arms, wrists and/or hands. | | | | have pain, read on--this is for you. |
| The carpal tunnel, by the way, is the internal tunnel, | | | | When our posture "fails," or we become collapsed |
| or passageway, inside the wrist through which | | | | forward, we compress nerves in our neck and |
| nerves and blood vessels pass. If these get | | | | shoulder. Those nerves cause symptoms in our |
| compressed, uncomfortable sensations result. | | | | hands, arms and wrists. Our muscles are no longer |
| Compression can result from movements which | | | | holding us upright. We need to get back to our |
| aggravate the wrist or arm, or from swelling of the | | | | original good posture, and we can. |
| tissues. Swelling and compression are most often the | | | | When we get this "forward-head posture", we also |
| result of incorrect and repetitive usage of the hands, | | | | usually develop trigger points. Trigger points can |
| arm and body. This may be referred to as Repetitive | | | | cause pain in--surprise!--our hands, arms and wrists, as |
| Stress Injury (RSI) or Repetitive Movement Disorder. | | | | well as other areas of our bodies. |
| We move incorrectly when we move differently than | | | | Here's a simple carpal tunnel pain relief tip for |
| the way we were built to move. | | | | computer users: |
| Whether you actually have CTS, RSI, or something | | | | If you use a computer mouse, pull a tray table or |
| else, the cure is basically the same. | | | | something similar next to the side of your body. Put |
| Because the cause is basically the same. | | | | your computer mouse on it. This lets you hold your |
| Crabby muscles. | | | | elbow close to your waist, which keeps your arm |
| Here are three categories of people whose carpal | | | | from getting strained from stretching to reach your |
| tunnel syndrome may not be caused solely by | | | | mouse. Use a table height for your keyboard and |
| muscles which are complaining: | | | | mouse which allows your elbow to be bent at about |
| -Women who are pregnant. Their pain goes away | | | | 90 degrees and keep your wrists straight. Let your |
| after delivery. -Diabetics with carpal tunnel pain. | | | | wrists "float" above your keyboard. |