Does Carpal Tunnel Go Away
Day in and day out from 8am up to 5pm, you are right in front of your computer, tapping your fingers on the keyboard as fast as you can just so to beat the deadline of those articles that have to be done. You are working at your desk, trying to ignore the tingling or numbness you have had for months in your hand and wrist. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shoots through the wrist and up your arm. "This maybe just a passing cramp", you thought to yourself as you are still feeling the ache of it. Think twice, lady because most likely you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers, as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move.
Sometimes, swelling from irritated tendons or other kinds of thickening narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed. The effect may be soreness, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist that goes up the arm. Although painful sensations may indicate other conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common and widely known of the entrapment neuropathies in which the body's peripheral nerves are compressed or traumatized.
Did you know that women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndromec You heard it right. This is not to scare the ladies out there but for awareness sake as proven by science. It is because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain. Persons with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the body's nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk but it usually appears to the adults.
The danger of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not limited to a certain demographic of people like those in a single industry such as manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning and poultry packing. Truth is, carpal tunnel syndrome is three times more common among assemblers than among data-entry personnel. A 2001 study by the Mayo Clinic found heavy computer use (up to 7 hours a day) did not increase a person's risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
During 1998, an estimated three of every 10,000 workers lost time from work because of carpal tunnel syndrome. Half of these workers missed more than 10 days of work. The average lifetime cost of carpal tunnel syndrome, including medical bills and lost time from work, is estimated to be about ,000 for each injured worker.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is somewhat similar to the mustard seed principle where it starts small that you hardly even notice it but can end up really big as to paralyzing those arms.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
How soon after giving birth did /does pregnancy induced carpal tunnel go away?
and is there anything I can do to speed it along?...drinking extra water..etc.-
ANSWER:
Within 6 weeks of delivery for me - I didn't do anything it was just a matter of time
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QUESTION:
does carpal tunnel go away by it self?
i'm in pain both wrist i don't want to have surgery i have had to many other surgeris last year with other issues.what can i do ?-
ANSWER:
you will have to rest your wrists- no more constant use. You should probably wear braces at night and take an anti-inflammatory med like motrin or use actipatch to reduce the inflammation and swelling in your wrist that is causing the nerve to be compressed. Good luck.
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QUESTION:
when does pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome go away?
I had horrible problems with water retention during my pregnancy and this lead to carpal tunnel in both wrists. I thought this would resolve as soon as the baby was born but that hasn't happened. My baby will be 4 weeks old on Wednesday and if anything the carpal tunnel seems to be worse - the wrist pain is still very bad and my fingers seem to be even more numb than before. The water retention in my legs has really improved (with the exception of my knees which I can still barely bend) so I was hoping to see a similar improvement in my wrists but no such luck. My fingers are a lot less swollen though. Did anyone else get carpal tunnel during their pregnancy and if so when did it go away?-
ANSWER:
Mine went away pretty quickly after the baby was born. Do you do anything that may have caused carpal tunnel that is not related to pregnancy? now that you are no longer pregnant, you might consider an anti-inflammatory med on a regular basis for a while or try actipatch. I would definately consult the doctor if there is not improvement within the next month. Actipatch will also help your knees. My knees take beating from my avid biking and hiking. I use ibuprofen and actipatch and they help tremendously. Good luck and congratulations on your new addition! Also, try drinking MORE water...sounds crazy but it helps to rid you of bloating!
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QUESTION:
i have carpal tunnel does it go away or do you always need surgery?-
ANSWER:
Well, carpal tunnel can be caused by over use and also by some medical conditions. If you're over using your hand(s), it will be worse if you continue to do the same thing over and over. But that doesn't mean you have to stop doing what you're doing altogether. See you doctor, have it evaluated, and she/he will possibly refer you to an occupational therapist for a functional splint to prevent any further damage and also give you some tips on how to prevent further damage.
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QUESTION:
did your carpal tunnel go away after you had your baby?-
ANSWER:
yes it will go away. i had it real bad. its from the fluid that you are holding pressing around the joints. it will get worse before it actually gets better. mine got so bad at one point i could have cried. there was nothing i could do to relieve teh pain. but after the baby is born and yous tart to lose the fluid, it should get better.
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