Tips on Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Posted by Jon Lee in Site stuff, tags: carpal-tunnel, health, MX-Air, tipsOccasionally, I feel tingling and numbness in my hand — two possible early signs of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. This is not good news and I’ve begun to take some measures to prevent further complications.
Carpal tunnel syndrome develops slowly over time and is believed to be caused by repetitive tasks such as typing (under debate) that compresses your carpal tunnel (located near your wrist on the inside of your hand). It isn’t a debilitating disease but the common treatment for serious CTS right now is open-hand surgery where they cut into your wrist and cut a ligament. That doesn’t really sound like something I’m interested in experiencing so I think I’d rather stick with these quick fixes:
- Lift your wrists
Try to keep your wrists in the air while typing on your keyboard. If not possible, rest it on something soft (the softer the better) to relieve pressure on the carpal tunnel. - Don’t sleep with bent wrists
Sleeping with your wrist bent will compress the carpal tunnel, instead try to keep them straight and relaxed when sleeping. You may consider wearing a wrist brace to keep your wrists straight — this also helps when used while typing. - Adjust your seat higher
By positioning your seat higher or your desk lower, you are making it more difficult to rest your wrists. If your seat is too low, it is very hard to keep your wrists in the air while typing. - Take a break to exercise your wrists
Stopping once in a while to stretch your wrists as well as the rest of your body is always a good idea. A good wrist stretch is to pull your fingers back gently, stretching the wrist and holding it for a few seconds. - Try a gyroscopic mouse
I’m not sure how effective this is but I find that when using the mouse, my wrist is always resting onto the table. Since Logitech came out with the MX Air, I began thinking it might help to use an “air” mouse. Not all the time of course but when doing leisure surfing, it could be beneficial to keep your hands off the desk completely. - Eat Beef Tendon
This one is a Chinese belief. If you eat beef tendon, your own tendons will get stronger. Likewise for other parts like cartilage and liver. There isn’t much evidence supporting this but there’s no harm trying (unless you are vegetarian/don’t like the taste).
If you have any of your own tips, I think I can use all the help I can get. That surgery picture really doesn’t look pleasant!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert and this should not be taken as substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your family physician.
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