Name: dhanu

Where is the Carpal Tunnel?
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At the base of the palm is a tight canal or tunnel through which tendons and a nerve going from the forearm to the hand have to pass to get into the hand. The nerve that passes through this narrow tunnel to reach the hand is called the Median nerve. This narrow passage between the forearm and hand is what we call the carpal tunnel

What is Carpel tunnel syndrome?
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Carpal tunnel syndrome affects 25–33% of pregnant women.
It occurs when the median nerve(This nerve provides the sensation of feeling to the thumb, index and middle fingers and half of the ring finger. ), travelling through the \";tunnel\"; of the wrist bones, is compressed by the flexor tendons which also run through the carpal tunnel.
The nerve responds to this compression by sending back pain signals and by not carrying normal information which provides sensation to the hand.This results in numbness and/or pins and needles in the fingers and hands, generally first thing in the morning. This is termed \";mild’ and while annoying, is usually not incapacitating. The same cannot be said of the more severe forms of the condition where the pain is so severe that sleep can be disturbed and hand movements are severely restricted. The symptoms can also include sharp pains that shoot from the wrist up the arm, thumb weakness, frequently dropping objects, waking at night with hand pain and numbness in the hands while driving.

What can make the carpal tunnel too tight?
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Anything that takes up extra space in the carpal tunnel can make things too tight. This can include
1.swelling in the tunnel,
2.change in the shape of the tunnel itself that can occur after a fracture.
3.Inflammation of the tendons in the tunnel because of repetitive use of the hand and wrist causes the tendons to swell and can cause carpal tunnel.
4.Fluid retention. For example, fluid retention occurs during pregnancy and it is common to have carpal tunnel symptoms develop during pregnancy. 5.Contraceptive pills also cause fluid retention and so do many other medical conditions all of which can cause carpal tunnel symptoms.
6.Fractures around the wrist and hand can also cause swelling in the wrist and therefore carpal tunnel symptoms.

It is important to know that the carpal tunnel changes in size depending on the position of the wrist.. When the wrist and hand are straight in line, the carpal tunnel is at its widest size. When the hand is bent up or bent down at the wrist, the tunnel becomes slightly smaller. Therefore if the tunnel is getting tight for whatever reason, there will be the most room for the nerve when the wrist is kept straight. In this situation, keeping the wrist bent up or down puts more pressure on the nerve and brings out the numbness and tingling.

symptoms:
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Symptoms can consist of pain, tingling or numbness in the thumb, index, middle and half the ring finger. This may extend to lower arms as well. These frequently wake you up at night or appear in activities such as driving or typing.

What can be done about it?
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Here are some remedies which might be helpful: 1.Hold your fingers stretched out as far as possible for a few seconds, then relax them.
2.Make a fist, then straighten out your fingers.
3.Move your hands up and down and from side to side and round and round. Try ‘flicking’ them quickly.
4.Keep your hands raised as much as possible — improvise an elevation sling with a scarf. In bed try sleeping with your hands slightly raised on pillows.
5.Try bathing your hands/wrists in a bowl of hot water (around 38oC) for about 3 minutes. Then immerse them in cold water for about 30 seconds. You should then repeat this sequence twice more, increasing the temperature of the hot water to a maximum of 43oC (don’t burn yourself!) and adding ice to the cold water to keep it cold.
6.Wear a splint/wrist support, supplied by your midwife. Studies have shown that resting the fingers, hand and wrist in a neutral position is the most effective way to reduce pressure on the median nerve.
8.Make sure you are eating a full and balanced diet, containing the full range of vitamins. There is some evidence that taking B complex vitamins by mouth has helped to relieve the pain and numbness/tingling of carpal tunnel syndrome. B vitamins are used in nerve metabolism and if you have a relative deficiency, increasing your intake may improve nerve function.
8. Take rest periods or task breaks every hour.
9. Avoid caffeinated drinks and cigarettes.
10. Use anti-inflammatory medications (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and cortisone injections) and cold compresses to relieve pain and reduce swelling in the affected area.

After pregnancy:
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Carpal tunnel syndrome usually improves, often very quickly, after pregnancy ends. You are not likely to develop this condition again — unless, of course, you get pregnant again and even then, you might or might not.

For women who have experienced symptoms prior to pregnancy, it is possible the problem won’t go away and only then would the last resort treatment of surgery be undertaken.


IN ADDITION TO THIS, ALSO SEE WEBSITE and related pages:
www orthohelp com / carpal htm

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