Four tips for how to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome

How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Pain in your forearm, wrist and hand. A numbness or tingling sensation that grows worse over time. Weakness in the wrist and hand that make doing normal daily tasks harder. These are all issues you could experience if you develop carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve running through your wrist is compressed or irritated. For this reason, it’s also known as median nerve compression. This issue is the most common form of nerve entrapment, and it’s estimated to occur in up to 6% of the general population. There are steps you can take to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. A physical therapist is one medical professional who can help you learn prevention steps for this wrist condition. 

Physical therapists can offer these four tips for how to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome

A physical therapist has been trained to treat musculoskeletal disorders, and this includes median nerve compression. However, these specialists can also offer you tips to help you learn how to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome in the first place. 

Four tips a physical therapist could recommend include: 

  1. Stretching out your forearms — Tightness or dysfunction in forearm muscles can often lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. This is because these muscles attach to the tendons that run through the carpal tunnel. Muscle tension can cause these tendons to become inflamed and compress the median nerve. Stretching out the forearm muscles can help shut this process down before it even gets started. 
  1. Taking breaks at work — Many work tasks involve repetitive wrist or hand movements, and these can contribute to the development of median nerve compression. However, taking frequent breaks to rest your wrists can help you avoid irritation of this nerve. 
  1. Using ergonomic devices at your desk — People who do a lot of typing or other computer work are especially likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Often, these tasks can’t be completely avoided, but you can make them less stressful on your wrists by using certain ergonomic devices. This could include switching to an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. 
  1. Going to physical therapy — Not surprisingly, physical therapists often recommend coming to see them if you’re worried about carpal tunnel syndrome. One reason is that these specialists can identify underlying issues that could lead to this condition. Another reason is they offer treatment options that are effective for median nerve compression, such as: 

SSOR offers effective prevention and treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome

Wondering where you can find a therapy team to help you prevent or treat carpal tunnel syndrome effectively? At SSOR, our physical therapists are experienced at both treating and preventing this wrist condition. We can start by doing a free screening of your wrists to pinpoint issues that could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Then, our team can create an individualized therapy plan designed to address the underlying issue and prevent median nerve compression. 

Don’t feel like you have the time to come see us for help? That’s OK! We can come to you. This is possible thanks to the at-home care and virtual therapy services our team offers. Our physical therapists can even treat you if you don’t have a referral from your doctor. 

Contact us today for more information about the services we offer for carpal tunnel syndrome or to schedule an initial appointment.