Post by TishArby on Apr 29, 2002 12:32:11 GMT -5
Is There A Light At The End Of The (Carpel) Tunnel?
Introduction:
Of late a lot of attention has been generated regarding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. According to recent statistics over 5 millions Americans are afflicted with this syndrome, which accounts for 65% of all occupational injuries. (The word syndrome indicates a group of symptoms that defines a particular disease.) If you would look for the carpal tunnel, it is very easy to find-- just on the underside of the wrist at the base of the palm.
The Carpal Tunnel:
The Carpal Tunnel is the passage at the level of the wrist, on the palmar side, through which one major nerve (the median nerve--so called because it travels in the middle line of the underside of the forearm) and nine tendons, pass to supply the hand. Tendons are rope like bands of tissue that anchor the muscles to the bones, and therefore permit effective muscular contractions. The tendons passing through the carpal tunnel attach the muscles in the forearm that move the fingers to the bones of the fingers (the phalanges). You can easily feel the tendons as long ropes like structures running on the underside of the forearm just above the wrist. The median nerve is a thin cable- like structure that passes through the carpal tunnel and then fans into branches that supply sensation to the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger and the adjacent half of the ring finger. The median nerve also supplies moving (motor) stimulation to the muscles of the base of the thumb (the thenar muscles of the "ball" of the thumb) which are responsible for grasping. The carpal tunnel is bounded on the bottom by the Carpal bones (small bones at the base of the hand) on one side and the Transverse Carpal Ligament (a horizontal flat band of tissue, on the top). The space in the carpal tunnel is at a premium and neither the bones or the ligaments give much with pressure, so that the median nerve is easily squeezed when this passage is narrowed by swelling. The pressure on the nerves may cause sensations of tingling, burning or numbness of the fingers, hand pain, and weakness or inability to grasp.
Causative Factors:
Any process that leads to inflammation or swelling in the wrist can precipitate carpal tunnel symptoms, from excessive movements to arthritis of the wrist. One of the common causes and the focus of most of the product liability litigation, is the repetitive motion across the wrist associated with prolonged use of keyboards (e.g. on computers). Other activities that also cause repetitive wrist motion can also cause the condition. These include sewing, driving, planting and the use of certain tools. Certain sports such as tennis and golf can also cause CTS. Employees at risk range from computer operators, typists, dental hygienists, electronic parts assemblers and musicians to meat packers and carpenters. The risk usually is higher with an increased repetition of hand motion and with an increased requirement of physical force. For example, in meat packers the frequency of the carpal tunnel syndrome is as high as 15%, as compared with a frequency of 0.01% in the general population. Other conditions that have been associated with CTS include, pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism -- all being conditions associated with swelling of the tendons of the hand. Trauma to the wrist can also cause swelling of the hand or wrist resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome. Medication causing fluid retention such as contraceptive pills can also cause carpal tunnel symptoms. It is also important to realize that the carpal tunnel changes its size according to the position of the wrist. When the hand and the wrist are in a straight line, the carpal tunnel is at its widest size. When the hand is bent up or down, the tunnel narrows and is more likely to trigger the symptoms of CTS under certain circumstances.
Introduction:
Of late a lot of attention has been generated regarding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. According to recent statistics over 5 millions Americans are afflicted with this syndrome, which accounts for 65% of all occupational injuries. (The word syndrome indicates a group of symptoms that defines a particular disease.) If you would look for the carpal tunnel, it is very easy to find-- just on the underside of the wrist at the base of the palm.
The Carpal Tunnel:
The Carpal Tunnel is the passage at the level of the wrist, on the palmar side, through which one major nerve (the median nerve--so called because it travels in the middle line of the underside of the forearm) and nine tendons, pass to supply the hand. Tendons are rope like bands of tissue that anchor the muscles to the bones, and therefore permit effective muscular contractions. The tendons passing through the carpal tunnel attach the muscles in the forearm that move the fingers to the bones of the fingers (the phalanges). You can easily feel the tendons as long ropes like structures running on the underside of the forearm just above the wrist. The median nerve is a thin cable- like structure that passes through the carpal tunnel and then fans into branches that supply sensation to the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger and the adjacent half of the ring finger. The median nerve also supplies moving (motor) stimulation to the muscles of the base of the thumb (the thenar muscles of the "ball" of the thumb) which are responsible for grasping. The carpal tunnel is bounded on the bottom by the Carpal bones (small bones at the base of the hand) on one side and the Transverse Carpal Ligament (a horizontal flat band of tissue, on the top). The space in the carpal tunnel is at a premium and neither the bones or the ligaments give much with pressure, so that the median nerve is easily squeezed when this passage is narrowed by swelling. The pressure on the nerves may cause sensations of tingling, burning or numbness of the fingers, hand pain, and weakness or inability to grasp.
Causative Factors:
Any process that leads to inflammation or swelling in the wrist can precipitate carpal tunnel symptoms, from excessive movements to arthritis of the wrist. One of the common causes and the focus of most of the product liability litigation, is the repetitive motion across the wrist associated with prolonged use of keyboards (e.g. on computers). Other activities that also cause repetitive wrist motion can also cause the condition. These include sewing, driving, planting and the use of certain tools. Certain sports such as tennis and golf can also cause CTS. Employees at risk range from computer operators, typists, dental hygienists, electronic parts assemblers and musicians to meat packers and carpenters. The risk usually is higher with an increased repetition of hand motion and with an increased requirement of physical force. For example, in meat packers the frequency of the carpal tunnel syndrome is as high as 15%, as compared with a frequency of 0.01% in the general population. Other conditions that have been associated with CTS include, pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism -- all being conditions associated with swelling of the tendons of the hand. Trauma to the wrist can also cause swelling of the hand or wrist resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome. Medication causing fluid retention such as contraceptive pills can also cause carpal tunnel symptoms. It is also important to realize that the carpal tunnel changes its size according to the position of the wrist. When the hand and the wrist are in a straight line, the carpal tunnel is at its widest size. When the hand is bent up or down, the tunnel narrows and is more likely to trigger the symptoms of CTS under certain circumstances.
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