Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common problem today. Tons of people are developing this problem with their hands and wrists. You may be wondering - are you at risk? While there is no one specific cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, there are a variety of different risk factors that can make it more likely that you will end up dealing with the problem at some point in your life. Here are some of the top risk factors that may make you more susceptible to developing the disease.

Carpal Tunnel Risk Factor #1: Your Job

One of the main risk factors may be your job. People who have jobs that require the use of stressed, awkward or repetitive motions of the wrists and hands have an increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. This can include doing work in an assembly line, using the computer on a regular basis, typing, or even using large power tools. This makes your job one of the biggest risk factors for getting carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal Tunnel Risk Factor #2: Being a Woman

Yes, just being a woman can make you have a higher risk of developing problems with carpal tunnel syndrome. Women are far more likely than men to end up with carpal tunnel problems. After women go through menopause, they are at an even greater risk for the problem due to the higher risk of weak bones.

Carpal Tunnel Risk Factor #3 - Your Genes

Your genes, or heredity, may be a big risk factor that can place you more at risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. If you have relatives who have dealt with carpal tunnel syndrome, you are far more likely to end up with the condition yourself. Also, some characteristics of your hands and wrists, such as the shape, can even make it easier to develop CTS.

Carpal Tunnel Risk Factor #4 - Particular Health Problems

There are particular health problems that can increase your risk of encountering carpal tunnel syndrome at some point in your life. Some of these conditions include obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Women who go through hormone changes, due to menopause, pregnancy, or taking birth control pills may be more susceptible as well.

Carpal Tunnel Risk Factor #5 - Your Age

Your age can have an influence on your risk for carpal tunnel syndrome. People who are between 40 and 60 years old are more likely to develop carpal tunnel than those younger. So, as you grow older, the risk of developing the problem is going to get higher.

Carpal Tunnel Risk Factor #6 - Smoking

Most people don't realize it, but smoking can even play a part in whether you end up with carpal tunnel syndrome. Smoking affects the amount of blood that is able to get to the median nerve in the wrist, which can raise your risk of suffering from the condition. However, unlike many other risks, this is one risk that you can do something about by quitting.

These are only six of the more common factors that can elevate your chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. By doing things to prevent the ones you can you’ll be doing yourself a favor. Stop smoking, take frequent breaks and use items such as wrist rests and ergonomic keyboards, etc. to lessen the possibility of carpal tunnel syndrome striking.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nasty problem in the hands and wrists where the carpal tunnel actually puts pressure on the median nerve, causing a lot of pain and numbness to the hands and wrists. It can be very painful and debilitating. However, there are some great treatments available today for those who are dealing with this problem. Wondering if carpal tunnel syndrome treatment is the same for everyone? Well, actually you'll find that the treatments can vary, and usually they vary depending on the severity of the problem that you have. Most doctors start out conservative with the treatment and then work up to more aggressive treatments if the problem does not respond to the more conservative treatments.

Mild Carpal Tunnel Treatments

There are a variety of different treatments that are available if you have mild carpal tunnel syndrome. Here are a few of them that you may want to try yourself.

• NSAIDS - NSAIDs, or Non Steriodal Anti Inflammatory drugs, are often used to help treat problems with mild carpal tunnel. These drugs include Advil and Motrin and they help to decrease the amount of inflammation in the carpal tunnel, which can help to get rid of the symptoms that are occurring. They are available over the counter.
• Wrist Braces - Often wrist braces are also used to help treat the problems with mild carpal tunnel as well. They help to provide the support that the wrist needs and can keep the wrist in a position where it is causing the least problem. It keeps the wrist from compressing the nerve and should be worn during the day and especially at night.
• Cold Compresses - Cold compresses are also another great treatment that can provide some help for people with a mild case of carpal tunnel. The cold helps to reduce the swelling that causes the problem.

Treatments for More Severe Carpal Tunnel

If the treatments for mild carpal tunnel don't work, then you may need to go a step up to more radical treatments. The next step in treatment usually is a cortisone injection which is given to the carpal tunnel area. It helps to decrease the amount of inflammation in the area which takes the pressure of the nerve. Although this is an option that works for many people, it cannot be used on a regular basis. Also, it's important to note that this treatment usually only provides temporary relief for the problem.

When Other Treatments Don't Work

Of course when other treatments don't work for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment, you may have to go with treatments that are more drastic. Surgery is a treatment that may be right for some people who have no results with the other treatments that are available. Carpal tunnel releases can be done surgically and they are usually quite simple as well. Usually this is a surgery that only ends up taking about 15 minutes and it is usually very effective.

Believe it or not, you can actually prevent repetitive stress injuries. These injuries can be very painful and can lead to arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and even tendonitis. So, it is very important that you start learning now how you can prevent them from happening. One of the best ways that you can prevent these injuries from occurring is to use some common wrist exercises. Not sure where to begin? Well, here are a few great wrist exercises that can help you to make sure that you prevent repetitive stress injuries yourself.

Exercise #1 - The Tension Relief Exercise - One great exercise that you can try is the tension relief exercise. This is a great one for your arms and wrists. Just take your arms and wrists and let them dangle right from your shoulders. Then shake them gently allowing them to relax. Take deep breaths while you are doing this exercise as well. It allows the muscles to relax and works out any problems.

Exercise #2 - Simple Wrist Stretch - A simple wrist stretch can also be very helpful if you are trying to prevent repetitive wrist injuries as well. Simple take your hands and then make a fist. Put them on a desk or table top with your arms also supported on your desk as well. Take your fists and then stretch them gently to the left and then to the right. Then release the fingers and put them on the edge of your desk and gently press with your fingers.

Exercise #3 - Fist Clinches - Fist clinches are another great exercise that you can use when you want to prevent repetitive stress injuries to the wrist. Put your fingers together and make a fist with them. Keep the fist tightly together for about five seconds then allow the fingers to relax. Do this about 5- 10 times for the best results.

Exercise #4 - Hand Circles - Hand circles really work as well. Take your hands and make circles very slowly by having the hands rotate at the wrist. Make sure that you do this in a controlled way. You can do about 10-20 repetitions at once for the best results.

Exercise #5 - Wrist Extension and Flexion - The wrist extension and flexion is a great exercise to try as well. Simply sit behind your desk and keep the elbow down but allow the forearm to rest on the table and have the wrist hanging off. Have a weighted object, such as a water bottle in your hand. Then extend and flex the wrist, moving the hand up and down with the weighted object. Do this slowly and in a controlled manner. You should only do about 10 repetitions at a time and then add on slowly as your wrist gets used to the exercise. 

Doctors are More Aware of Carpal Tunnel Symptoms

In the past carpal tunnel syndrome was something that you heard about; however, it was not a problem that many doctors were used to dealing with. Thankfully, this has changed in the past few years. You'll find that carpal tunnel syndrome has been becoming more and more prevalent, meaning that more doctors are dealing with these problems, which in turn makes them more aware than ever before of the symptoms that their patients are dealing with.

What is "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?"

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a problem involving the actual carpal tunnel, which runs through the wrist. It houses various tendons for the fingers as well as a special nerve, which is known as the median nerve. In many cases, problems occur which leads to the narrowing of this tunnel, which compresses this important nerve. This leads to the problem that is known as carpal tunnel syndrome, causing pain, numbness, tingling, and other problems.

More and More Doctors are Seeing Carpal Tunnel Patients

Today you will find that more and more doctors are actually seeing carpal tunnel patients. This problem is becoming more and more common, and patients are going to their doctors with these problems. However, you will find that there are a variety of other problems that can have symptoms that are very similar to those that come along with carpal tunnel. Even if doctors are very familiar with the symptoms of the problem, figuring out which patients need further testing can be a challenge.

Carpal tunnel is most often witnessed in patients who work at a computer all day. Most computer keyboards rest at an awkward angle, placing the wrist in an unnatural position which can lead to tingling, pain, or numbness.

New Questionnaires Available to Help Doctors

Research has been done on patients that were thought to have carpal tunnel. Recently new questionnaires based on this research have been made available to help doctors figure out which patients need to go with more testing.

The questionnaire is comprised of seven different questions. Usually those that answered "yes" to at least 3 of the questions did end up showing some abnormalities in other tests that were conducted. Some of the questions included whether they are dealing with tingling in the fingers, whether they are dealing with problems that are worse in the morning or at night, and several other symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Armed with these new questions, doctors are now finding it easier to screen patients that have some of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. This is helpful to doctors and patients alike. The more that is learned about the problem of carpal tunnel syndrome, the better doctors are being able to diagnose and treat it.

Free Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises

Carpal tunnel syndrome, an often painful condition that's caused by swelling within a narrow opening in the wrist, is often caused by a repeated strain or pressure on the area, aggravating the median nerve running through the passageway.

Repeated movements throughout the course of the day, such as those associated with computer use and typing, put excess pressure on the carpal tunnel. This causes symptoms like pain, tingling, and numbness, not only in the hands, but also the fingers, wrists, and forearms. Injuries to the wrist and conditions such as pregnancy, arthritis, or diabetes may also be to blame for carpal tunnel syndrome -- making an accurate diagnosis imperative.

Fortunately, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is treatable and manageable through the use of simple exercises, over-the-counter medications, and in some cases, surgical treatment. Today there are many websites with free carpal tunnel syndrome exercises online. They are either in the form of videos or helpful articles and illustrations to use for treating the condition.

There are certain precautions that you can take, though they're not actually exercises, using the proper positioning or ergonomics while working will help to reduce the chances of being affected by carpal tunnel syndrome. If you already do have the condition, ergonomics will help to reduce your existing symptoms. When using the keyboard, it should be placed directly in front of you while keeping the shoulders relaxed and the upper arms in a neutral position.

Adjust the height of your desk or work surface so that the keyboard allows the hands, wrists, and forearms to be in a comfortable position with no pressure or strain. Avoid placing the wrists on any hard surfaces, or resting them on your desk for long periods of time as this will put more pressure on the carpal tunnel and cause an increase in swelling as well as pain.

Here's one simple stretching exercise to try for treating carpal tunnel syndrome:

1. Stretch both of your wrists and fingers out in front of your body, extending the hands and fingers upward as if you were making a "stop" motion.
2. Hold this position for a count of five before relaxing and straightening the wrists in front of the body.
3. 3. Next, make a fist with both hands while the arms are still extended forward.
4. Curl the wrists, still in the fist position, downward toward the floor and hold for another count of five.
5. Relax and straighten both wrists and hands into their normal position and repeat the above steps for as many as five to seven more times.