Tunnel syndrome has become known relatively recently, and here's why - the occurrence of unpleasant sensations associated with it is a consequence of long-term work, including flexion and extension of the wrist. In addition, the problem lies in the compression of the median nerve at the level of the wrist, which leads to pain or numbness. But do not think that this is a nonsense disease, this syndrome can cause serious inconvenience - in especially advanced cases, patients experience problems with working capacity and even sleep.
In addition, sometimes there is a tunnel syndrome of the ulnar nerve, which occurs for the same reasons, but the pressure is applied to a slightly different point. At the same time, painful sensations are observed in the area from the collarbone to the elbow, the little finger may still hurt.
Why and who gets tunnel syndrome? Due to the constant load on the same muscles, the nerves are pressed against the bone and squeezed. There is a compaction of the ligaments and the tunnel through which the nerve passes narrows. All this canfurther aggravated, for example, by diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed that carpal tunnel syndrome is a professional disease of programmers, copywriters, typesetters, that is, those who spend a lot of time at the computer and perform monotonous work. With the ubiquity of information technology, there are more and more patients complaining of pain and numbness in their wrists. Here it is, the price of progress - carpal tunnel syndrome.
Treatment exists both medically and surgically. In the first case, special preparations are introduced into the tunnel that relieve inflammation and swelling; physiotherapy can also help. However, in advanced cases, one has to resort to the help of surgeons - they dissect the tissues that compress the nerve.
Of course, it is better not to bring your hands to such a state, but you should not be afraid if you feel discomfort in your wrists or hands in general. Similar symptoms can also cause osteochondrosis, a herniated disc in the cervical spine, so before making a diagnosis, it is better to consult a neurologist. Based on ultrasound and electroneuromyography, he will make the final diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
In order not to worry in vain and not to run to the doctors, you need to carry out simple prevention. First, you need to assess your position while working on the computer. Make sure that the forearm is at a right angle to the shoulder, the arms are not twisted, butthe base of the brush is crushed. The hand should be as far as possible from the edge of the table, you need to monitor your comfort. If necessary, use special palm rests or an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. In addition, warming up the hands and using special simulators and expanders helps to prevent tunnel syndrome. Vigorous shaking of the hands, clenching and unclenching the palms, as well as regular breaks in the work with electronic devices can permanently delay or completely eliminate the occurrence of problems even with very intensive computer work.
