Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition in which pain is felt in the wrist accompanied by tingling, a tingling sensation and sometimes weakness in some of the fingers of the hand, usually the thumb and the fingers next to it: the index finger, the forearm and part of the ring finger. The cause of the tingling and tingling sensation is pressure created on The area in the wrist called the "carpal tunnel" - a tunnel located inside the base of the wrist and inside it is the median nerve, the nerve responsible for the sensation and the ability to move the fingers.
The carpal tunnel
The carpal tunnel is a "tunnel" located at the base of the wrist. The tunnel is made of bones and connective tissue bands. It can be said that the "ceiling" of the carpal tunnel and the "walls" are composed of tissues and bones - hard tissues and tiny bones, which makes the walls of the tunnel sensitive to pressure. Inside the tunnel are tendons and nerves that come from the forearm and go all the way to the fingers, and their job is to move the muscles of the fingers and provide sensation. Among these nerves is also the median nerve - the nerve responsible for the thumb and the three fingers next to it
Carpal tunnel syndrome - what is it?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition of nerve damage. In this situation, pressure and load are created on the walls of the tunnel, and they in turn exert pressure on the median nerve. When there is a disturbance in the sensory innervation transmitted between the median nerve to the fingers - that is, when there is a load on the nerve - pain and tingling appear in those fingers whose muscles the nerve is responsible for. Also, in many cases, symptoms such as weakness and even loss of sensation also appear.
Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome
This is a very common syndrome that is a significant factor in the decrease in work productivity among a large number of people - and as such, many studies have been conducted in an attempt to trace its causes. At the same time, it is still not clear why it is caused and what are the reasons it appears. However, several genetic and biological factors are known that may increase the chance, and there are also several different hypotheses and estimates:
Smoking
It was found that smokers are at an increased risk of thickening the fat bands that wrap around the carpal tunnel - which can cause load and pressure on the tunnel and from there to a load on the median nerve.
over-weight
Like smokers, people who are overweight are also at a high risk of developing the syndrome, also as a result of the thickening of the ligament surrounding the tunnle.
Genetics
Certain studies show that there is a hereditary link in the transmission of the syndrome. Due to genetic reasons unknown to us, it is possible that there will be those who will develop the syndrome during their lifetime and, as mentioned, pass on the increased risk by inheritance.
Pregnancy
It was found that pregnant women or women close to giving birth, may suffer from the syndrome for the duration of the pregnancy or immediately after giving birth. Most likely, the cause is the accumulation of fluid within the ligament surrounding the carpal tunnel, which creates a load on the tunnel and hence on the median nerve.
Additional factors
Apart from the mentioned factors, researchers estimate that there are other factors that may increase the risk of having the syndrome, such as age (50 to 60 year olds suffer more), gender (3 times more in women), as well as medical conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and hypoactivity of The thyroid gland may increase the risk of having the syndrome. In addition, even people who work in an office and spend many hours in front of a computer may suffer from the phenomenon in the hand in which they hold the mouse.
Carpal tunnel syndrome - the stages of the disease and its symptoms
For the most part, the pressure created on the carpal tunnel develops gradually and in fact, it can take years for the symptoms to appear and increase.
Initial stage - pain and feeling of circumcision
The first and mild symptoms of the disease will be pain and numbness (numbness) in the fingers activated by the median nerve. It is common to assume that the pain will worsen at night, and this is because of the increased load exerted on the carpal tunnel due to the natural bending of the palm during sleep.
A more advanced stage - muscle weakness in the fingers and severe pain
As the disease progresses, the symptoms worsen. In more advanced stages, the pain in the wrist and fingers is well felt throughout the day, and in particular when bending the wrist for daily activities such as driving, talking on the phone or eating. Also, at this stage the pain may radiate to the entire length of the arm. Besides the pain, in an advanced stage there may be significant weakness of the finger muscles and a decrease in sensation.
There are cases in which the symptoms of the disease will appear all at once and with high intensity: in the case of a fracture in the palm, for example, which causes internal bleeding that presses on the channel, as well as in cases of taking blood thinners or immobilizing the palm with a cast.
Grandma's remedies and natural treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome may go away on its own, but it is often necessary to treat it. There are number of herbal remedies and natural treatments that may relieve the symptoms.
Grandmother's medicines for carpal tunnel syndrome
Warming the palms by quickly rubbing them together can help reduce pain. This is because when the body temperature drops the symptoms worsen, and warming the hands relieves the symptoms.
Orthopedic brace for the night
The load created on the median nerve increases when the palm is bent during sleep. To prevent this, you can wear a special orthopedic brace during the night, the function of which is to fix the palm in place and prevent it from moving.
Natural treatment and nutritional supplements to treat Carpal tunnel Syndrome
There are several natural treatment methods for carpal tunnel syndrome based on medicinal plants, the basis of which is treatment of vascular disorders in the body, which may alleviate the symptoms of the syndrome. One of the leading products in this group is CRV Protector. This is a natural nutritional supplement based on medicinal plants that helps clean
the vascular system. The capsules of CRV Protector contain a natural plant mixture based on the Serrapeptase enzyme and have many properties for the treatment of blood vessel problems: healing cysts, removing dead tissue, dissolving plaques and blood clots as well as helping to reduce pain caused by various inflammations.
exercises
Besides drugs and devices, there are reports of exercises that help reduce the symptoms: occupational therapy whose function is to stretch the tunnel and the ligaments surrounding it, thus relieving the pain. It should be noted that the operation will only be useful in the early stages of the disease. Additional physical therapy exercises that may alleviate the symptoms of the disease are exercises to improve mobility, in which the patient moves the longitudinal nerve by bending the palm back and stretching the forearm muscle, thus reducing the pressure created on the carpal tunnel.
Also, there is another exercise that aims to move the tendons near the median nerve by activating certain muscles and thus reduce the load on the tunnel.
Additional treatments
When the disease increases significantly and the pain worsens and no natural treatment helps, surgery or antibiotic drugs can be used. It should be taken into account that treatments of this type may cause various side effects, so it is very worthwhile to hurry and start treatment before you reach the severe conditions of the syndrome.
Anti-inflammatory supplements
The use of anti-inflammatory supplements has been found to help relieve symptoms as well as treating the Inflammation itself. This is in contrast to over-the-counter medications which, in some cases, may cause a load on the median nerve and sometimes also worsen the pain. A normal anti-inflammatory drug may reduce the severity of the symptoms but may also damage the connective tissues and cartilage, and this is compared to a nutritional supplement such as bio-curcumin which knows how to cleanse the inflammation and heal it completely.
Surgery
In severe cases, surgery can be performed to relieve the load created on the carpal tunnel: in this operation, the surgeon cuts the ligament that wraps the tunnel and causes pressure on the median nerve, effectively leaving it open. The duration of the operation is about ten minutes.
Conclusion
Carpal tunnel syndrome may significantly reduce the quality of life of those who suffer from it. Without adequate treatment, the pain and the feeling of numbness will worsen and it is recommended not to neglect the disease and to treat it already in its early stages. We wish good health to all those suffering from the syndrome and quick pain relief.
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