Have you noticed that your hands, wrists, or forearms ache on a daily basis? Are your routine activities, such as typing or lifting, becoming painful to perform? Do you tend to experience uncomfortable stinging sensations with arm, hand, or wrist movement? If so, you may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a fairly common condition resulting in stiffness, numbness, or pain that can radiate through your fingers, hands, wrists, or forearms. Although this condition is fairly common, it can be prevented in a variety of ways.
Advance Physical & Aquatic Therapy can help you learn how to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from developing, as well as safely and comfortably treat your symptoms if this is a condition you’re already dealing with. Our clinic in Springfield, PA offers several different methods of treatment through physical aquatic therapy and occupational therapy. Call us today to set up an appointment, and get back to using your hands without pain.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
If you’re living with this condition, you’re one of many. The American Aquatic Therapy Association states that carpal tunnel syndrome impacts approximately 5% of all Americans — which might not seem like a lot on paper but in reality, it is!
You might be wondering what carpal tunnel is. The main job of the carpal tunnel is to protect the median nerve on the inside of your wrist, as well as the tendons you use to bend your fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the carpal tunnel becomes constricted or pinched, which can result in pain within the nerve that can extend throughout your entire arm. A constricted carpal tunnel is typically caused by an injury or by repetitive job-related use, such as assembly-line work, keyboard-heavy work, or driving heavy machinery.
Can I prevent carpal tunnel syndrome?
If you work a job or have a hobby that requires repetitive motions of the hands and wrists, you are at a higher risk for developing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. This can be a nuisance to deal with, as it causes weakness in your hands, and will affect your ability to hold items comfortably or perform tasks you need to do for your job.
The good news though is that there are plenty of precautions you can take to protect yourself from injury.
- Wear a wrist brace at night. When we’re asleep, our wrists may bend. It’s not something we mean to do, but it does happen as we move during the night. Wearing a brace when you go to bed can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome as they keep your hand and wrist in a neutral position. If you do activities during the day that causes symptoms to flare, you can even try wearing your brace when you’re awake.
- Reduce unnecessary stress and strain on your hands and wrists. You might be making more forceful movements than you need to and you aren’t even aware of it! For example, you might be gripping a hammer too tightly during your job. Maybe you’re tapping too hard on your keyboard when you don’t really need to. Try to be conscious of the force and tension you put behind your hand and wrist movements.
- Do regular stretches. Have you noticed the longer you keep at an activity without moving other parts of your body, the stiffer you begin to feel? Take multiple breaks during the day to move around and get your blood flowing. Try making a fist, squeezing, and then straightening out your fingers about 5 to 10 times in a row. This will help to ease tension and stress on your joints.
- Practice good posture. Believe it or not, the way you hold your entire body can have an effect on your hands and wrists. Practicing good posture is a vital part of preventing carpal tunnel syndrome from developing. Poor posture can cause your shoulders to roll forward, which results in compressed nerves in your neck. This eventually will lead to pain in your hands and wrists.
The good news is that if you do develop this condition, the skilled therapists at Advance Physical & Aquatic Therapy are able to help you find true pain relief.
How can aquatic and occupational therapy help me combat symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?
If you have begun showing signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, it is most likely affecting and severely limiting how much you’re able to comfortably move your hands and wrists.
Aquatic and occupational therapy can help decrease your recovery time with the following kinds of modalities:
- Compressive therapy
- Electrical modalities
- Ergonomic modifications
- Adaptive techniques
- Joint protection
- Manual therapy
- Custom orthotics
Our therapeutic methods are non-intrusive and safe and can provide you with a comprehensive evaluation of your condition. This is meant to help you understand why it occurred as well as how you can prevent it from recurring.
Consulting with a licensed and skilled therapist at Advance Physical & Aquatic Therapy will allow your condition to be properly assessed and the right method of treatment to be presented to you. Every person is different and everyone requires different levels of care, so don’t be surprised if your treatment changes over time to accommodate your needs!
There’s a better option for pain relief at our clinic
You can get back to using your hands and wrists without pain and discomfort faster than you might realize. To learn more about how our physical aquatic therapists can help you get back to doing the things you love without pain and discomfort, give us a call today! We’d be happy to set up an appointment for you to have your condition evaluated and treated.
