Spotlight on Carpal Tunnel: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention
We all do it. We spend hours pouring over our smartphones, tablets, and/or computers. We drive to various places including our jobs, appointments, errands, and home. And we do it all mindlessly and easily. However, as we partake in our daily routines, we have a pesky problem developing: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The dreaded wrist pain of all wrist pains. Nothing quite messes up your day than being unable to move your wrist up and down as you go about your day, or being unable to carry items as you run your errands. But as with all of the other aches and pains that result from Repetitive Strain Injuries and inactivity, there is good news: There's a way to help prevent and treat CTS!

What would my symptoms be if I have CTS?
As I have seen with many of my patients, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can really mess up your day when you have a lot of stuff to do, but no wrist mobility to complete your tasks. In order to treat CTS, we need to first tackle where it is coming from.
CTS is a pain in your wrist and hand or elbow and forearm. There is usually also some hand and finger numbness that you may feel, or tingling and a pins and needles sensation. You will also most likely experience some hand weakness and difficulty moving your fingers.
Why is this? Most likely you are experiencing this pain because of improper ergonomics. You may have a keyboard, mouse, and computer that isn￢ﾀﾙt correctly set up, which will cause you pain after repetitive (and incorrect) use. Also, if you are using your keyboard and mouse for more than 30 minutes in one sitting, you will experience some pain in your wrist and fingers. The same goes for text messaging or using a smartphone to surf the web. Prolonged use of any device without breaks will absolutely cause some pain and numbness.
Another sure fire way to give yourself CTS may surprise you. But if you use instruments or tools that vibrate, such as a power drill or electric nail buffer, for too long without taking a break, you will feel begin to feel these same effects. Driving or writing for extended periods of time can also cause CTS. Even assembly line work has been shown to cause wrist pain, in addition to excessive work or stress. So make sure your work environment isn￢ﾀﾙt bringing you down; otherwise you will have more problems than just meeting your deadlines. And finally, if you are not spending enough time working out, stretching, or moving throughout the day, your muscles can become tight, also leading to CTS.

How do I treat and prevent my Carpal Tunnel?
So what do you think it means if prolonged use of smartphones, texting, keying, or using vibrating tools causes pain? You guessed it￢ﾀﾔyou need to start taking more breaks. Taking a micro-break while you watch TV, work on the computer, drive for an extended time, or play on your cell phone will be a huge benefit to not only your health, but your wrists too. You should also make goals to move more. Getting the recommended amount of exercise each day will help put CTS at bay.
If you are already suffering the consequences, make sure to stretch out your muscles￢ﾀﾔespecially your wrists, arms, and fingers. If you follow our blog, then you know by now that it really all comes down to movement. Our bodies need to me moving throughout the day in order to ward off not only CTS and other Repetitive Strain Injuries, but also chronic diseases as well. You can use the tools already at your disposal, such as the alarm on your phone, to remind you once an hour to get up and move. If that isn't enough, I suggest you consider looking into an all-in-one wellness program such as Tractivity or FitBit. You simply clip on the device, and allow the program to keep track of your daily activity, so you can see where you have room to improve.
And not to toot my own horn, but I have received wonderful feedback from my patients and other customers as to how much my wellness program Voom has eased their chronic pain. Voom not only reminds you to get moving once an hour, but we guide you through a quick 2 minute stretching or strengthening exercise break that you can do virtually anywhere in order to bring more movement to your day. We also recently partnered with author and renowned fitness expert Sean Foy from Win Today Wellness, to bring users longer 10 minute exercise breaks for when they are craving more activity.
Next, you must work on improving your office setup. This includes your posture! Improving the ergonomics of your office and your posture will help prevent you from getting CTS in the first place. Where should you begin? I suggest starting with your chair￢ﾀﾔCoreChair is an excellent company that specializes in ergonomically correct chairs that not only ensures that you sit with proper posture, but also reduces your chronic pain, while strengthening your core muscles.
If you still find yourself slouching regardless of how good of a chair you get, then another option that I suggest to my patients is a device from LumoBack. Their newest activity tracker, called the LumoLift, monitors your posture and will vibrate when you slouch.
While you work on your computer, you should also keep some focus on your hand and arm placement. You want to keep your elbows close to your body and make sure your mouse isn￢ﾀﾙt too far away. A good rule of thumb is to keep your ergonomic mouse at arm￢ﾀﾙs length. Also try focusing on how you are typing. Try to be gentle as you push on the buttons of the keyboard and mouse, as this will stop harsh movements in your wrist and fingers. Additionally, and this may sound odd, but try to keep your hands and wrists warm. If they are cold, the movements will feel harsher, no matter what. 
There are also numerous homeopathic ways to treat CTS. From stretching to essential oils, you can help ease your pain without the help of a doctor. Of course, always consult your physician first before beginning any treatment protocol, as you need to understand the extremity of your pain before you start taking it into your own hands. To check out some homeopathic treatments, give our Pinterest board How to Rid Yourself of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome a look and see what may suit your needs.
Have a question about your pain?
I know this blog post has a lot of information about different prevention tips from using your own body to investing in numerous programs and/or products. So if you have a question about what the best treatment plan is for YOUR Carpal Tunnel condition, please ask us! My brother and I are hosting a live Twitter chat on International RSI Awareness Day, this Friday, February 28th. We'll be answering all of your pain and health questions and concerns, and giving away prizes just for participating. So mark it on your calendars, and Tweet us with your questions from 2-3pm EST using #ASKVoom and @voomwell. You can even submit your question today, and yours will be one of the first we answer. We can't wait to hear from you!





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Tell us: Do you suffer from CTS? How do you seek relief? We love to hear your feedback!
This resource is not meant as a diagnostic tool. If you are suffering from a chronic pain condition, visit your physician before beginning any treatment protocol.
http://blog.voomwell.com/blog/bid/376007/Surprising-RSIs-That-Result-from-Inactivity-Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome