Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises Can Help Prevent and Treat This Painful Condition

When I started experiencing pain in my wrists, and numbness and tingling in my fingers, it wasn't hard to guess what was going on. I spent most of my time either with a pen in my, clicking away at a mouse, or typing up a storm on my keyboard. And what I was experiencing were the early signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Those early warnings were enough to make me change my ways. Unless I overwork myself, I rarely experience pain or numbness anymore. But while learning to take breaks certainly helped, doing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome exercises has also been beneficial.

What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition often experienced by people who use their hands to perform the same hand intensive tasks over and over again and for long periods of time. If you write, type, knit, clip hedges, work with tools, or do anything else that requires you to hold something for long periods of time, and use the same wrist or finger motions repeatedly, you could develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Preventing and Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

For people with severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, sometimes the only way to find relief is through surgery. However, if you suffer from mild to moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, there are less drastic things you can do to relief the pain of this condition. And if you aren't yet experiencing the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but often perform tasks that might put you at risk, there are preventative measures you can take.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises

Dr. Housang Seradge, from the University of Oklahoma Orthopedic & Reconstructive Research Foundation, developed a series of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome exercises that have helped patients with mild to moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome find relief without surgery. They can also help you avoid developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

You should do these exercises before you start working. You should also take breaks several times while working and repeat the exercise series.

You would probably find it useful to print out a copy of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome exercises, including pictures demonstrating how they are done, and hang them up somewhere near where you work. Not only will a guideline of the proper way to do these exercises always be nearby, but it will also be a reminder to take those all important breaks that we can sometimes forget to take when we become absorbed in our work or hobby.

But take note. Those with severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome should not do these exercises. And if you've been doing the exercises for a while, and Carpal Tunnel Symptoms persist, or get worse, you should see a doctor.