A common condition that women may experience is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. We’re not saying that men don’t experience it but according to a study, the prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome(CTS) in all women was 2.7%. Overall, 51 pregnant women had CTS that 59.4% had mild, 18.8 % had moderate and 21.9% had severe CTS. Sixty-one non-pregnant women had CTS that 73.6 %had mild, 20.8 %t had moderate and 5.6 % had severe CTS.
If you or a loved one is experiencing signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome then this is for you. CTS is by a combination of factors among women and older people; it can be hereditary, repetitive hand and wrist motions over a prolonged period of time can cause pressure on the nerve, activities that would involve hyperextension and flexion of your hand and wrist can cause swelling on the nerve as well, pregnancy can also cause CTS due to hormonal changes that cause swelling, other causes include diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
A patient with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome knows that familiar pain and numbness that makes it difficult to do the things they enjoy. Most CTS patients tend to shake their hands and wrist to relieve the pain. The good thing is, there are so many ways now to manage this condition and one of them is Physical Therapy.
Your therapy program will depend on the cause and severity of your carpal tunnel syndrome but it will include the following:
Your physical therapist might visit your worksite, whether it’s home-based or office-based, this is to assess your work area and be able to identify the major factors contributing to your CTS. This is where correct ergonomics take place.
Exercise routines to increase muscle strength in the hand, fingers, and forearm, some physical therapists would also include the trunk and postural back muscles to really manage the condition.
Stretching exercises for flexibility development of your wrist, hand, and fingers. When pain strikes, a patient can’t move any of those areas and tend to drop things due to the numbness.
The use of heat/cold treatments for pain relief and the use of night splint to reduce the discomfort.
Education in terms of proper posture since it contributes largely to CTS, wrist position changes, the different stretching exercises that you can do during your breaks at work. And they will also educate you on how to safely use sharp utensils since Carpal Tunnel Syndrome happens all of a sudden and your hand can just go numb and may drop things- and some may be dangerous things.
Your physical therapist will always base your treatment plan on the assessment and evaluation he has with you. he/she might also limit your leisure activities especially those that might aggravate your CTS. A good example would be tennis, using the racquet itself might make your condition worse since it requires wrist movements. Well, it’s not forever that you’ll stop, it’s a temporary solution to help in your recovery.
Dedication to your therapy is key. Some patients tend to give up and stop their therapy, but it mustn’t be so. Continous treatment is needed so there’s no need for surgery. Remember, the goal here is for you to resume your normal activities and be as active and functional as possible.
