DO YOU DO THINGS WITH YOUR HANDS???
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, TAKE CARE OF THEM
I literally cannot stress this enough. I don’t care what you’re doing with your hands: typing, drawing, knitting, writing, sewing, gardening, sculpting, pottery, mail delivery, lab-work, IT DOESN’T MATTER--all these small movements, precision movements, heighten the chances that you’ll get carpal tunnel syndrome.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
You’ve likely heard of it before. Your favorite artist(s) probably complain that they can’t draw for extended periods of time now.
“Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes numbness, tingling and other symptoms in the hand and arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by a compressed nerve in the carpal tunnel, a narrow passageway on the palm side of your wrist.” (Via the Mayo Clinic)
The nerves in your hands and wrists have a casing, like the rubber or plastic around cords and wires that are all over your house/apartment/dwelling. When you do too much repetitive movements, these casings get tighter and constrict the nerves. This leads to tingling, numbing, constantly cold fingers, etc.
BUT THAT’S NOT THE HALF OF IT.
GUYS. I’M SO WORRIED FOR ANYONE WHO USES THEIR HANDS. MY MOM WAKES UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT CRYING BECAUSE HER PAIN IS SO BAD. Her hands numb up, circulation up to her neck gets cut off, and her whole arm goes numb. Her muscles tense up too. I have to hold her glass of water sometimes because she’ll drop it. She’s only 46 and she already can’t button her shirts. Sometimes she can’t grip the steering wheel and someone has to drive in her place. The tips of her fingers have been numb since the start of the summer--it’s been 3 months. She can pick hot food up with them and not get burned because her nerve ends are dying. (The doctors in America say this is irreversible, but my aunt in Jordan who is also a surgeon says that the tips of her fingers were also numb but after she did a surgery to open the nerve casings, the nerves came back to life--only possible if you do an operation immediately.)
You guys, this is a serious condition but there are remedies.
As mentioned, surgeries are available. They open up your wrist and open the casings to free the nerves, giving them more mobility--freeing them from constriction. You can’t use your hands for 3 or so months, but after that you’re free to do whatever.
massages and stretches. All these do the work to loosen muscles and nerves to stretch them out, to help them be more pliable. YOU HAVE TO DO THESE. They help a ton, I promise. My mom recently started going to physical therapy, but because she has moderate-to-severe carpal tunnel in both hands, all she can do is manage the pain.
braces. You can pick these up at a local drugstore for ~$15 (US) or get them from your doctor. These braces have a piece of metal in them arranged at an angle designed to stretch out the nerves. It relaxes the muscles and nerves. Please get a pair if you think you’ll have carpal tunnel for a while
lotions, salves, and essential oils. These can help relax muscles and nerves to alleviate pain and make it easier to stretch or sleep
not a remedy but: invest in thicker writing utensils. Like the kind kindergartners use. Fat pencils and crayons and pens make gripping easier and lessen the tension on how tight you have to hold the pen. I have a friend who writes a single check and has to take a break because her hand goes numb. Get thicker pens.
IF YOU CATCH CARPAL TUNNEL EARLY ENOUGH, YOU CAN REVERSE OR REMEDY THE EFFECTS FOR A LONG TIME.
I’m not diagnosed and I’m not a doctor but I know what it feels like. I know what it looks like to have someone deal with untreated carpal tunnel.
Please please please please take care of your hands. There are so many people I want to tag, so many creators, but I can’t reach them all. Please share this and please care for your hands. Because of the rising rate of technology and touch-screens, the rate of those who experience carpal tunnel is going up and they get diagnosed much younger. (2011 stats) (Breakdown of risk factors)
I KNOW THIS IS LONG. I’M SORRY.
TL;DR: CARPAL TUNNEL SUCKS. IT’S SERIOUS. IF YOU USE YOUR HANDS, TAKE CARE OF THEM
