Hi there loyal readers! This is my last post for 2011 and I would like to thank you all for your support and interest in my blog! Learning about your health is the most important thing you can do - so visiting here often will put you on the right track for a great 2012! I look forward to posting more on the health issues you want to know about in the new year - leave me a comment and let me know what interests YOU!
Today's post reviews and explains a very common and debilitating health issue - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The National Center for Health Statistics has reported that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome results in the highest number of days lost among all other work-related injuries. It is the most common nerve compression disorder of the upper limb. Here is what you need to know about this painful health condition:
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The carpal tunnel is a narrow, rigid passageway
formed of bones and ligaments at the base of your hand. Nine tendons and one
nerve (the median nerve) pass through this space. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
occurs when the median nerve becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist.
Thickening from irritated tendons or other swelling narrows this tunnel and,
since it is mainly composed of bones, the tunnel cannot stretch to accommodate
this inflammation. This results in compression and irritation to the median
nerve (neuropathy), leading to painful sensations. Although these sensations
may indicate other conditions, CTS is the most common and widely understood of
the entrapment neuropathies in which the body’s peripheral nerves are
compressed or traumatized.
The Median Nerve:
The median nerve exists in humans as well as other
animals. It originates in the neck and courses down the arm into the wrist,
where it passes through the carpal tunnel. This nerve controls the sensations
to the palm side of the thumb and fingers (not including the little finger), as
well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that control finger and
thumb movement. Due to the course of the nerve, compression at the carpal
tunnel can result in pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist,
radiating up the arm.