Do you work in front of the computer for over 8 hours a day? Does your work require continuous use of the wrist and the wrist nerves without rest or at a stretch? Have you ever felt numbness of the wrist or pain in your hands or for that matter stinging sensations in your hand? Well if the answer to the earlier stated questions is “YES” then it is an indication that most probably you are suffering from the carpal tunnel syndrome. The first question which arises in your mind is that as to what is carpal tunnel syndrome?

The carpal tunnel syndrome or the repetitive stress disorder as it is better known is a kind of crippling disability. Earlier when a little or no information was available about this disorder and people used to complain about the above symptoms then it was thought that they are making excuses for not doing the task assigned to them. But, according to statistics it was found out that around 5 million Americans complained about the pain and it was clear that all could not lie together! With such a large number of people complaining about the same disease in our nation was a cause for concern and cure for the same needed to be found out.
On discovering the signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome it could be simply put that the carpal tunnel syndrome is defined as a work related injury which occurs in individuals whose work demands spending time on activities which involve pressure on the wrist and the wrist tendons. People who are likely to be trapped by this disease include the following:
- Computer users who work for a long period.
- Cashiers in banks and other financial institutions.
- Computer operators.
- Desktop publishing professionals.
- Assembly line workers.
- Cash register operators.
- Writers.
All these people suffer from the carpal tunnel syndrome as they have to do activities which involve repetitive use of the wrist. But this disease develops slowly and gradually and not all of a sudden. In this disorder the nerve of the wrist is pressurized and causes various problems.
The symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are as follows:
- Frequent pain or ache in palms and wrists.
- Numbness and itching of the hand.
- Hands will feel as if they are swollen but they may or may not be swollen actually. This mainly occurs at night during early stages.
- No effect of heat treatment is observed.
- Clumsiness.
- Frequent dropping of things from the hands.
- Reduced grip capacity of the hands.
- Problems pertaining to dexterity and coordination control are also there.
The carpal tunnel syndrome is recognized as a genuine medical problem and scientists the world over have devised treatments to reduce and eliminate the pain caused to the patients. The various treatments and medications available for the carpal tunnel syndrome are as follows:
- Splinting: this is done to set the affected wrist in strain free position. This should be done over a span of time to remove the effects of the disease.
- Using medications like the oral corticosteroids.
- Local injections of steroids relieve inflammation and pain.
- Use of anti-inflammatory gels and ointments.
- Performing surgery.









































