1. You actually have an area in your palm called the Carpal Tunnel. It’s like a highway filled with tendons and a really important nerve called the Median Nerve. The syndrome happens when there is inflammation in this highway and that puts a lot of pressure on the super important nerve. This causes pain, numbness or tingling in the hand and fingers.
2. You can be predisposed to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Due to genetics, you could be born with a really tight Carpal Tunnel. So, at any sign of inflammation, it would be really easy to put pressure on the Median nerve.
3. Your baby belly could be the root of the problem. Pregnancy is a risk factor for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because of the fluid retention. Other risk factors include Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Obesity.
4. Women are three times more likely to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Why? Their actual carpal tunnels may be smaller than those of men. As we learned above, this increases the likelihood of any inflammation putting pressure on the median nerve.
5. You can prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by taking breaks from repetitive hand movements like typing or texting on your phone. Try flexing and extending your wrists with exercises like these from Cleveland Clinic : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2lHpWNaQaQ
If you think you may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, please see a doctor who will make the diagnosis and then come up with a unique treatment plan for you. This may include resting the wrist, injections or surgery.
The doctor may order investigations such as nerve studies or x-rays if the diagnosis isn’t clear. If you’re having pain, numbness or tingling in the hand and fingers, you can make an appointment to see our orthopedic surgeon here.
Sources: www.handcare.org, www.self.com