Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Blue Collar Pain
Monday, November 24th, 2008Over the past few days, I’ve been learning more and more about carpal tunnel syndrome.
Apparently, it’s a little more controversial than I had realized.
Illustration of the carpal tunnel. Provided by: Leslie Laurien, M.S.M.I., from Medem: Medical Library
The carpal tunnel is a tiny stiff passageway between ligaments and bones that runs from the underside of the wrist to the hand. Through it runs the median nerve. The median nerve is a large nerve that runs all the way down the arm to the hand.
In the hand, it communicates with the thumb and the first three fingers. When the ligaments or tendons that pass through this little corridor become irritated or injured in some way, they may become swollen. Therefore they take up more space in the carpel tunnel, which leaves less room for the median nerve. And then you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, I learned, has quite a few symptoms, not only pain. Tingling. Numbness. Inability to grip strongly.
This is often exacerbated by sleep, as folks can sleep with their wrists bent in a variety of directions (seems even in sleep we don’t know what to do with our hands). In some instances, sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome wake up repeatedly in the night due to pain or extreme discomfort. And then of course the misery level increases due to being low on sleep!
The reason why I mention ‘controversy’ is that I had always thought it was a given that prolonged activities such as typing or computer use would contribute to or cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Now that I’m reading up on it, I’m surprised to see that the jury is still out on this as a cause.
Certain other work-related activities are acknowledged to be the culprit–assembly line work, cleaning, manufacturing, sewing, meat packing, fish processing, forestry work (can you imagine what repetitive chainsaw use might due to those tendons?). This is certainly a far cry from the image most of us may have of carpal tunnel sufferers, that of the person sitting at the computer keyboard for hours on end. Women are much more likely to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome: it’s thought because the carpal tunnel is smaller in women than in men.
So a woman who works a blue-collar job is more likely to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. And workers with carpal tunnel syndrome have to deal with losses in time and pay. To be brutally honest–and no, it’s not fair–a blue-collar woman is probably least likely to be able to afford such losses.
On a brighter note, testing for carpal tunnel syndrome is more precise than it was in the 1990s, when CPT came onto the scene in a big way. In 2002, OSHA started doing research and putting together a wide-ranging plan to put the lean on factories regarding ergonomic guidelines, education, and improvements in worker comfort. Physical therapy and sports medicine companies have developed products to help prevent and aid in treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. These products are easier to find, research, and get insurance reimbursement for then they were a decade ago.
Smart Glove PM by Imak
Braces or splints are some of the most suggested therapies, to help immobilize the wrist. These are particularly recommended at night, to help prevent unintentional wrist motion or compression. When the wrist is in a neutral, unbent position, that helps to keep the carpal tunnel at its widest, and minimize the squeezing of the median nerve.
As with any carpal tunnel therapy treatment, you should always check with your physician prior to use.
For these and other carpal tunnel syndrome-related products, please visit PainReliever.com.
Marguerite
Brand New Look!
Thursday, November 13th, 2008After months of hard work, our site for pain reliever products, painreliever.com, has a new look. No, don’t worry! It’s even easier to navigate than before! A white background with easy-on-the-eyes blue text make the site friendly to those folks doing a little late-night (or early-morning) shopping. We still have great products from Sombar, Mueller Sports Medicine, Biofreeze, Zonk Designs, and many others–and we’re always adding new products so we can better serve you folks.
Snoozer Full Body Pillow
You can also expect the blog to take a new direction! Of course we’ll still talk about the products we have available–but we’re going to start taking a look at some of the conditions you may be concerned about. We hope to demystify some of the terms, perhaps answer questions, and make your search for pain-free living a little easier!
Grabber Heat Treat
Thursday, October 16th, 2008It’s becoming that time of year when it’s nice enough to still be outside but you have to be decked out with a jacket and gloves. I am partial to late fall or early spring because it seems to be, “just right”. Not too hot, not too cold, but perfect. To make my life a little more comfortable I tend to be a little privy to the warming packs you can find just about anywhere. I loved them in high school, cheering at a below zero football game is never what I’d call a “fun time”. These little packets gave me the perfect amount of heat so as not to lose the feeling in my hands and toes. I’ve also have tried other forms of the heating packs for things such as:
· Women’s cramps
· Aching muscles
· Neck kinks
It seems that sometimes the simple things in life can provide the most benefit. Plus, they’re amazing. Who knew you could get that much heat out of a little packet? I’ve been pleasantly surprised and more than satisfied.
Looking for a fun way to work-out?
Thursday, October 16th, 2008I am sure you have heard of the exercise or stability ball. I just wanted to rave about it a little. I have been using mine for about 3 years and I Love It!! Its great it takes me 30 minutes, its fun, and it gives me an incredible work-out! I loved using the exercise ball so much that when I found out about the ball chair, I had to have it not only does it work your core muscles all day, It is good for your posture and its ergonomic. So there it is a fun and effective work-out solution.
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