Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
We are Ireland’s No. 1 Sports Pharmacy and have been specializing in supports for sports injuries and medical conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for over Twenty-Five years.
During this time we have learned from experience which products work the best.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a very painful and debilitating condition and is one of the most common medical conditions we encounter. Customers very often present, having been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by their GP or Consultant.
We can often recognize the condition ourselves based on the customers history and symptoms. It is a condition that we can quite easily help to correct and very importantly relieve painful symptoms, with the use of top-class correctly fitted medical support.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Median Nerve
There are three main nerves that pass through the wrist into the hand, the Median nerve, the Ulnar nerve, and the Radial nerve.
These nerves control the function of our hand, the Median nerve enters the hand via the Carpal Tunnel and controls fine precision and pinching movement.
The Median nerve provides sensation to the thumb, index finger, and middle fingers, it does not involve the small finger or pinky!
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome occurs when there is pressure or compression on the Median nerve.
Who gets Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common conditions affecting the hand.
Patients who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis often present with CTS due to swelling of the wrist joint causing compression on the Median nerve.
Patients whose work involves having a tight grip, causing tightening of the Carpal Tunnel such as lorry drivers, taxi drivers, those driving heavy machinery.
Patients who have had a traumatic injury to the wrist such as a fall.
Patients who are pregnant or suffer from other conditions which cause retention of fluid, such as menopause or a local infection, causing compression of the Median nerve.
Patients whose work involves a tight grip and hammering causing vibrations thus tightening of the Carpal Tunnel and causing compression on the Median nerve, such as construction workers.
Signs & Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
When the Median nerve is compressed there is a sensation of numbness, tingling, burning and pain in the thumb, index finger and occasionally middle fingers. Characteristically the pinkey finger is not affected.
What are the warning signs of carpal tunnel syndrome?
A weakness of the hand or grip, causing the patient to drop objects.
If untreated these symptoms can develop, causing severe pain and loss of function. Patients very often report waking at night with pain and persistent broken sleep due to the pain.
How to Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The good news is that there is Treatment available for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!
When your Doctor has diagnosed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome he will prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the swelling of the Carpal Tunnel and so reduce the pressure on the Median nerve.
A correctly fitted top-quality Carpal Tunnel Wrist support supplied by Kevin Kelly Sports Pharmacy, worn at night will prevent compression of the Median nerve and will alleviate the pain and broken sleep caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. When sleeping we tend to close our fist, causing compression of the Carpal Tunnel and pain.
Dequervan’s Tenosynovitis
Wrist Splint
The symptoms of Dequervan’s Tenosynovitis is pain on the thumb side of the wrist that can be very painful and particularly sore to the touch. this is caused by the repetitive motion from work and retail work, housework including ironing and hoovering where you have a tight grip on the hoover or iron.
Workplace Factors
Similarly, this can happen when one is working where you have to grip a hammer, as an example, and your grip is tight and you created a lot of vibrations through your hand and wrist when you strike something.
This causes the tendon and synovium to become inflamed, hence combining both words to get tenosynovitis. This usually involves the Abductor Pollicis Longus and the Extensor Pollicis Brevis tendons.
Inflamed tendons cause the tendon sheath or lining to swell and thicken thereby pinching the tendons and making them unable to slide easily.
XBOX & PlayStation
Dequervan’s Tensosynovitis is caused by repetitive motion in particular in an office base workplace or equally working from home where we can spend long hours on our computer due to work and particularly where we are using the mouse and pad.
There is a risk of developing these symptoms in the younger population who spend long hours on PlayStation or XBOX gripping the controller for up to eight hours at a time with millions of tiny repetitive motions.
Sport and Racquet Sport
This occurs in a lot of sports in particular racquet sports where athletes try to pass the magic barrier of one hundred thousand hours in their training in pursuit of excellence and greater glory.
The sports that create the greatest risk of developing Dequervain’s Tenosynovitis syndrome are badminton, golf, squash, and tennis.
The median nerve provides sensation to the thumb, index finger, and middle fingers and to half of the ring finger. The small finger ‘the pinky finger’ is typically not affected.
Conditions that cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The hand is a complex part of the anatomy and there are numerous possible causes for nerve damage and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome including traumatic injuries such as a fall, car crash or bicycle fall, repetitive stress, infection, toxic exposure, or systemic diseases.
Another condition that causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is pregnancy which we will discuss later as it is one of the main causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Other related hormonal areas include Menopause and Menstruation.
Also other Thyroid Diseases, Lymes Disease, Diabetes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis as diagnosed by your doctor.
Lifestyle – Cleveland Clinic
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common problems affecting the hand. People with this condition feel pain, numbness, and general weakness in the hand and wrist.
Lifestyle changes like wrist splints. We have a number of different types of wrist splint for carpal tunnel syndrome which we will discuss later on.
Changes to our lifestyle environment can be hugely beneficial as recommended by Cleveland Clinic.
Age
Anyone can get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome but it is unusual before the age of twenty. The chance of getting carpal increase with age and in particular with wear and tear and increasing risk of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Mayo Clinic
As stated in the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in the USA, the primary cause of the pain and pain numbness in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is pressure on the Median Nerve. When the Median Nerve is compressed the symptoms can be severe pain, pain numbness, numbness, tingling, and weakness in hand and arm, weak and aching wrists.