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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThere are no proven strategies to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, but to protect your hands from a variety of ailments, take the following precautions:
- Reduce your force and relax your grip. Most people use more force than needed to perform many tasks involving their hands. If your work involves a cash register, for instance, hit the keys softly. For prolonged handwriting, use a big pen with an oversized, soft grip adapter and free-flowing ink. This way you won't have to grip the pen tightly or press as hard on the paper.
- Take frequent breaks. Give your hands and wrists a break by gently stretching and bending them periodically. Alternate tasks when possible. If you use equipment that vibrates or that requires you to exert a great amount of force, taking breaks is even more important.
- Watch your form. Avoid bending your wrist all the way up or down. A relaxed middle position is best. If you use a keyboard, keep it at elbow height or slightly lower.
- Improve your posture. Incorrect posture can cause your shoulders to roll forward. When your shoulders are in this position, your neck and shoulder muscles are shortened, compressing nerves in your neck. This can affect your wrists, fingers and hands.
- 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 at work, put on fingerless gloves that keep your hands and wrists warm.
References
- Carpal tunnel syndrome fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm. Accessed Dec. 5, 2008.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00005. Accessed Dec. 5, 2008.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. http://www.assh.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PatientsPublic/HandConditions/CarpalTunnelSyndrome/Carpal_Tunnel_Syndr.htm. Accessed Dec. 5, 2008.
- Sheon RP. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Sheon RP. Etiology of carpal tunnel syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Scott KR, et al. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Hunter AA, et al. Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
