If your job, favorite sport, or hobby puts a lot of strain on your wrist, then you may face increased risks of suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. However, you don’t have to wait until you are diagnosed with the condition to take proactive measures, which will stop you from suffering from it again.
The good news is that there are many things that you can do to prevent carpal tunnel symptoms. Here is a brief look at some of them.
Reduce your force and allow your wrist to relax
Start by reducing the amount of force exerted while using your wrist. For example, if your work involves using a keyboard, start hitting the keys gentler, and take periodic rests in between work to allow your wrist enough time to relax.
If you are writing with a pen for a long time, try to use a relatively big pen that has an oversized soft grip with free-flowing ink.
Give yourself a break and stretch often
It is recommended that you should stay away from the work or activities causing your wrist to strain with breaks of between 10 and 15 minutes. This is highly advised if the nature of your work involves the use of tools that vibrate a lot.
During these breaks, it is recommended that you also do certain stretches to improve the flow of blood around your wrist and to prevent your muscles from getting sore. One example of such a stretch is: make a fist, then slide your fingers up until they point straight out, and repeating that move up to 10 times.
Be watchful of your posture
When you adopt an incorrect posture, the shoulder muscles may compress the nerves on your neck, ultimately affecting your fingers, wrists, and hands. As a method of preventing carpal tunnel syndrome, it is necessary that you maintain a neutral posture at all times while you work.
Ideally, your wrist should be kept straight and in a neutral position to take away pressure from the median nerve. You may also consider wearing a wrist brace to help with the posture while you sleep.
Stay warm
This may sound simple, but it can make a very big difference when it comes to preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. When you are feeling cold, pain and stiffness will worsen. Staying warm, however, will stop this from happening. Simply having gloves on and avoiding working in a cold environment is a great way of doing so.
Discuss with your supervisor your health concerns
If the nature of your work is triggering carpal tunnel syndrome, then it may be a good idea to talk to your supervisor about changing your work environment and improving shifts to avoid experiencing pain and discomfort in the future.
