Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : September 5, 2018 12:16 PM IST
Make sure you do some wrist exercises to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome © Shutterstock
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful and debilitating condition of the hand and arm caused due to pinched or pressed nerves in wrist (median nerve. Carpal or in medical jargon, carpus refers to an assembly of eight small bones that lie side-by-side in the wrist in two rows which join the forearm to the hand. The tunnel houses tendons and a nerve that pass from the forearm to the hand. This passageway lies on the carpal bones and is roofed by a strong ligament, the flexor retinaculum. In the case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a group of symptoms occur together and it is therefore called a syndrome. Some of the most common causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are overuse of wrists especially while using keyboards, cradling a phone and typing on it or an injury to the wrist. Some of the other causes are rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypothyroidism, obesity and pregnancy. We give you tips on how you can avoid technology-related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Take frequent breaks: Yes, we get that you have targets to complete and are too busy typing away your reports to even think about taking a break. But this is exactly what can cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Make sure that you are taking a break every 20 minutes from typing or holding the mouse. Just rest the hand on your desk for while or even better, just go take a short walk.
Change your position frequently: You are seated on the same desk, in the same chair and position, at the same height throughout the day. This is bound to put pressure on one or two particular spots on your wrists. Try sitting at a different desk, push the keyboard a little behind or a little ahead and make sure that your elbows rest on the desk and not just your wrists while you are typing.
Do wrist exercises frequently: These aren't too complicated. Just rotate your wrists 15 times clockwise and 15 anti-clockwise. Also, push them up and down. You can do these exercises every half an hour or so. Also stretch your palms back and hold for 5 seconds. This will release the tension and loosen up the muscles.
