Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
Seeing a PT first just may prevent surgery
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) occurs when the median nerve in your wrist gets compressed because you do the same hand movements repeatedly. It happens to 1 out of 20 people in the United States. You might feel like your hand is asleep or have pins and needles, and it can make it harder to grip things and cause wrist/hand pain. A report from the American Physical Therapy Association says that going to physical therapy FIRST can save money, improve quality of life, and mean you might not need surgery.
Lifestyle considerations for carpal tunnel syndrome:
- 1. Use both hands for activities that you do a lot with one hand.
- 2. Keep your wrists straight, not bent.
- 3. Don’t hold things too tightly.
- 4. Use ergonomic tools and keyboards that are designed to be comfortable.
- 5. Pay attention to your posture.
Stretch Ideas:
Hand openers:
- Start by squeezing your shoulder blades together to make your chest feel open. Then, gently close your hands and then open them quickly and strongly.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
Upper extremity stretch:
- Stand up straight. Move your arms to your sides and a bit behind your body. Pull your fingers backward and lift your chin up.
