NCTV Episode 80

Continuing with the series of bitesize health tip videos which can be found here on my YouTube Channel, this episode, includes:

  • The symptoms
  • What you can do to help yourself
  • The causes
  • The treatments available
  • How to prevent it

Transcript

If you’d prefer to read the content within, rather than watch the video, then feel free to read the transcript, as follows:-

Hello and welcome to NCTV Episode 80.

As we enter June 2022 we have a few celebrations coming up in the next week or so, notably the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and not least, my Dad’s 80th birthday, hello father. I mention my dad because today’s topic actually coincides with something I’ve seen a fair bit of in clinic recently and it just so happens to something that he has been affected by of late too.

For those who follow the Royal Family closely you may or may not though that it was also a condition that the Queen’s late husband, Prince Philip suffered from and had an operation for back in 2010, a few days before his 89th birthday.

So what is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Effectively, pressure on a nerve in your wrist (the median nerve) which causes tingling, numbness and pain in your hand and fingers.

Other symptoms you may experience are an achy arm, weak thumb and difficulty gripping. These symptoms often start slowly and can come and go but they usually feel worse at night.

CTS can gradually get better by itself over a few months, especially if you had it in pregnancy but if your patience has worn thin with it there are a few things you can do for yourself to treat it.

Firstly, wearing a wrist splint. This helps to keep your wrist straight and relieves pressure on the nerve and it’s recommended to do this at night for at least 4 weeks before it starts to feel better. You can purchase them online or from a pharmacy.

If you have this condition, one of the key things to do is to cease or at least reduce the offending activity and that may be anything that causes you to frequently bend your wrist or grip hard, such as using vibrating tools for work, playing an instrument or mowing the lawn.

Other potential causes or things that make you more at risk of getting it are if you’re overweight, pregnant as mentioned, work or hobbies that cause you to bend the wrist, certain conditions like diabetes or arthritis, a family history of it or having sustained a previous injury to the wrist. Whatever the cause, addressing the underlying issue is the key to recovery.

If you opt for physical therapy, your therapist will aim to reduce inflammation in the wrist as well as compression to the median nerve to reduce your symptoms. They’ll most likely even look further up your arm to your shoulder, neck and upper back as these may well be influencing the issue.

Along with physical therapy, research suggests that yoga is very effective for reducing CTS.

For short term relief painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen MAY help carpal tunnel pain but there’s little evidence to say they can treat the cause of it, so it’s important not to rely on them.

There is some evidence to suggest that hand exercises can help ease the symptoms of CTS. For example, wrist flexion and extension stretches, wrist curls, median nerve gliding or flossing as well as tendon glides and hand squeezes.

GPs and physical therapists such as myself can usually diagnose CTS by asking questions about your symptoms and checking your hand. Although for a more conclusive diagnosis ultrasound scans tend to confirm this.

If the Carpal Tunnel problem doesn’t go away by itself, with the use of a splint or even treatment from the likes of an osteopath, physio or chiropractor for example, then if you went down the GP route, the next step would be a steroid injection to reduce the swelling down around the nerve and help ease the symptoms. It’s worth noting that this isn’t always a cure though and CTS can come back after a few months, requiring another injection.

In the event that CTS gets worse and doesn’t respond to any of the prior advice, you may get referred to a specialist to discuss surgery which usually does cure it and it’s a fairly quick op, taking around a month to recover from.

To help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the first place you can minimise stress on the hands and wrists by:-

– Reducing your force and relaxing your grip for things like typing on the keyboard or handwriting.
– Also, take short frequent breaks and gently stretch and bend hands and wrists periodically.
– Watch your form, for example, don’t excessively bend your wrists and keep the keyboard at elbow height or slightly below
– Something else you can do is improve your posture – try to avoid your shoulders rolling forwards which shortens your neck and shoulder muscles, compressing the nerves in your neck causing pain in your neck as well as your wrists, fingers and hands.
– Keyboard and mouse pads can also be beneficial by reducing the strain in your wrists
– Finally, be sure to keep your hands warm. You’re more likely to develop hand pain and stiffness if you work in a cold environment. If you can’t control the temperature then putting on fingerless gloves can help.

That just about covers everything, I hope you enjoyed this platinum jubilee themed bitesize bit to help your health flourish, enjoy the celebrations and I’ll see you next time, bye bye!