Just ask Annie Levitz, a Chicago-area 16-year-old who's been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The reason? Too much texting.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is extremely rare in childhood and in almost all previously reported cases it has been secondary to some underlying condition. Three 13- to 14-year-old girls are described with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, confirmed by EMG and relieved by surgical decompression.
Carpal tunnel syndrome may go away on its own with rigorous rest in certain circumstances if it is moderate and discovered early. Carpal tunnel syndrome can result in irreversible nerve and muscle damage if not treated. The best results come from early detection and therapy.
While carpal tunnel syndrome can occur at any age, it most often affects people between the ages of 40 and 60. In more than half of cases, both hands are affected; however, the severity may vary between hands. When only one hand is affected, it is most often the hand used for writing (the dominant hand).
You may notice tingling and numbness in your fingers or hand. Usually the thumb and index, middle or ring fingers are affected, but not your little finger. You might feel a sensation like an electric shock in these fingers. The sensation may travel from your wrist up your arm.
Carpal tunnel syndrome usually isn't serious. With treatment, the pain will typically go away and you'll have no lasting damage to your hand or wrist.
Although carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in older people, young people can develop it, especially if they're pregnant, Mugdal says.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is frequently misdiagnosed due to the fact that it shares symptoms with several other conditions, including arthritis, wrist tendonitis, repetitive strain injury (RSI) and thoracic outlet syndrome. Symptoms which CTS shares with other conditions include: Tingling. Pain.
When should you call your doctor? Call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately if you notice sudden loss of feeling in your arm. Call your doctor if you: Have tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in your fingers or hand that keeps coming back or that has not gone away after 2 weeks of home treatment.
Ignoring symptoms of this carpal tunnel syndrome can lead to permanent nerve damage. First, you may notice tingling or numbness in your fingers that comes and goes. Over time, the sensations may get worse, lasting longer or even waking you up at night.
Your symptoms seem to have come out of nowhere. Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms generally start gradually, and not from a specific injury. Symptoms might come and go at first, but as the condition worsens, symptoms may occur more often, last longer, and can even become constant.
Numbness in hands is a condition that many people experience. It can happen while a person sleeps, while talking on a phone or even driving a car. The numbness can be caused by increased pressure on a nerve in the palm of the hand. Many refer to this as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome may include:
- Numbness, tingling, burning, and pain—primarily in the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers.
- Occasional shock-like sensations that radiate to the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers.
- Pain or tingling that may travel up the forearm toward the shoulder.
How to Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Without Surgery
- Wear a wrist brace at night.
- Perform hand and wrist stretching exercises during the day.
- Increase physical activity and exercise.
- Consider weight loss if at an unhealthy weight.
- Modify hand activities.
- Learn healthy computer habits.
- Stop tobacco use.
Usually Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms are worst at night due to tissue fluid in the arms being redistributed when there is no active muscle pump. In other words, we aren't moving when we try to sleep and increased fluid leads to increased carpal tunnel pressure, causing symptoms to appear.
Most of the time, carpal tunnel syndrome gets cured and doesn't come back. If you have a severe case, surgery can help, but your symptoms may not go away completely.
“Texting itself is unlikely to cause true carpal tunnel syndrome in adolescents and teenagers,†says Dr. Samir Trehan, an orthopedic surgeon in the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at Hospital for Special Surgery. “However, the constant repetition of texting could lead to some hand discomfort and pain.â€
Amadio, M.D. Probably not. Carpal tunnel exercises alone aren't likely to relieve symptoms, such as pain and numbness. These exercises are most effective when combined with other treatments, such as behavior changes or wrist splints, for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.
Most doctors agree that using heat is the better way to “treat†carpal tunnel syndrome. Unlike ice, heat promotes healing and restoration of damaged tissues. The healing process is what will ultimately make the inflammation disappear for good. Therefore, a hot towel or heating pad will do just fine.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause weakness, tingling, or numbness in the hand. Arthritis can also cause pain and make it difficult to grasp things, but for completely different reasons. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by nerve compression and arthritis is caused by inflammation and damage to the joint.
A carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is also recommended when other treatments fail, or if the condition persists for a long time, leading to nerve damage. Avoidance Tactics: Avoid exercises like push-ups and planks that involve excessive bending of the wrist.
What are the occupational factors of carpal tunnel syndrome?
| Table 1 Job tasks and occupations associated with carpal tunnel syndrome |
|---|
| Job Tasks | Occupations |
|---|
| Scrubbing | Janitor, personal support workers, kitchen and restaurant workers |
| Playing stringed instruments with bow | Musician |
| Using laser scanner at checkout | Cashier |
There is no evidence that weightlifting causes carpal tunnel syndrome directly. Frequently lifting heavy weights with a tight grip can create an intense repetitive stress on the wrist and hand area. Incorrect workout forms or posture and other such factors may also increase the risk of CTS.
According to research, your workouts are very unlikely going to cause carpal tunnel syndrome. However, if you already suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, or are predisposed to it, the action of consistently bending or flexing your wrist while you work out can irritate the median nerve and worsen the symptoms.
