Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes numbness or tingling in the hands and arms besides other symptoms. Carpal tunnel is basically a narrow passage on the palm side of the wrist. This condition is caused when a nerve in the carpel tunnel is compressed. Since this median nerve runs up through the hands to the forearm, it affects the arms as well. Not only does it cause nerve pain, but also results in limited functionality of the thumb.

To prevent this syndrome, one needs to understand its causes. We have discussed some of the primary causes below:

Issues with the thyroid hormone: Hypothyroidism, an imbalance or lack of thyroid hormones in the body, can create problems that lead to issues with the overall musculoskeletal system. An over-active pituitary gland can also cause issues that affect mobility and motor skills. This can lead to or exacerbate the carpal tunnel syndrome.
Arthritis: Arthritis causes swelling and inflammation of joints and tendons, which tend to increase the symptoms of carpal tunnel. Eventually, arthritis can also lead to compression of the median nerve and other structures in the wrist, thereby leading to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Pregnancy or menopause: During pregnancy as well as menopause, women experience tingling or numbness in their hands, which is believed to be caused by carpal tunnel. Experts say that when a fluid called oedema builds up in the tissues around the wrists and other parts of the body, it puts a pressure on the median nerve, leading to pain.
Work pressure: Experts believe that behaviours can increase the risk of carpal tunnel. The other instances which cause this syndrome include physical labour, using mechanical tools and repeated stress to the wrist. However, various studies suggest that there isn t any direct association between using a computer and carpal tunnel syndrome. It may just cause different forms of hand pain.
Imbalance of body fluids: Fluid retention in the body increases the pressure within the carpal tunnel, which irritates the median nerve. This is common during pregnancy and menopause as discussed earlier.
Obesity: One of the significant risk factors for this syndrome is being obese. So be careful about gaining excess weight.
Other conditions: Certain conditions like hormonal imbalance, diabetes and kidney failure may increase the chances of carpal tunnel syndrome. It also occurs in people who usually have narrow carpel tunnels. In some cases, it is inherited and is passed from one generation to the next.
Inflammatory conditions: Illnesses that end up in inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can affect the lining around the tendons in the wrist and put pressure on the median nerve.
Fractures: A fracture in the wrist can cause narrowing of the carpal tunnel and irritate the nerve. 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Most Common Causes

The medical term used to describe a broken wrist is wrist fracture. The fracture might be in the 10 bones, which make up the wrist or in the radius. Some fractures can be serious while others may be tiny. The serious fractures make the bone unstable and these might require surgeries to cure. Open fracture is when the bone breaks and it breaks through the skin. This might cause an infection to the wounded area.

Causes
The most basic cause of a wrist fracture is injury. Any fall on your outstretched hand and you might have to nurse a fractured wrist. This type of fracture is common among sportsmen. If you are suffering from osteoporosis, then you have a high risk of getting a wrist fracture. Traumatic accidents may also cause severe wrist fractures.

Symptoms
The symptoms of a wrist fracture can be extremely painful. The pain escalates whenever you try to move your wrist or flex it, even if you are just flexing your fingers. Sometimes your hand or arm may even become extremely numb when you fracture the wrist. The muscles in the area become tender and swell up. It is almost impossible to move the wrist after it gets fractured. The fracture causes the wrist or rather the hand to appear deformed. The area around the fracture might even get bruise and a fractured wrist also affects the blood flow in the area. You might even injure your ligaments, tendons, muscles or nerves.

Diagnosis
To confirm and check the level of severity, you are generally asked to get an X-ray done. In order to get a more detailed look at the fracture, you might have to undergo CT or MRI scans as well. Usually to treat a fracture, you will have to wear a splint and move your hand as least as possible. But keep moving you're your fingers otherwise they might get stiff. Your doctor will inform you from when you will be able to move your wrist. Until then try to keep your movements to the minimal.

Causes and Symptoms of Wrist Fracture

When you experience any kind of bone and joint pain, you may be wondering what the best remedy might be to get relief. Some people ignore the pain, and it worsens, while others take over-the-counter medicines. However, the best remedy for bone and joint pain is to visit a pain management specialist. The field of pain management has evolved over the last twenty years. Nowadays, there are dedicated pain management specialists who are experts in treating bone and joint pain.

Here are 3 reasons to consult a pain management specialist for bone and joint pain:
1. Pain management specialists are trained especially for understanding any kind of bone or joint pain. They undergo special training based on bone and joint pain management and thus know how best to recognize and treat such pains.

2. Pain management specialists have a multidisciplinary approach towards treating bone and joint pain. The aim of pain management is to provide overall treatment and pain management specialists know about the best ways to take care of joint and bone pains. Pain management involves interventional procedures, psychological therapies, medication management and physical therapies. Pain management specialists also provide you with lifestyle modification remedies and assign you exercise schedules and diet plans. Alternative medicines like acupuncture and massage therapies are also provided by pain management specialists.

3. Pain management specialists cooperate with you and come up with the best solution for your bone and joint pain. Pain is such an aspect, which has no fixed cure and the remedy varies from person to person and depends on the nature and severity of the pain. Thus everyone should receive a personalized treatment, which is most suitable to cure the pain that has occurred to them. Pain management specialists work with patients, discuss a lot and come up with the best treatment procedure, which would complement the patient. For example, a neurostimulation device can be prescribed to a patient who suffers from complex regional pain syndrome and did not have success with other treatment procedures. In many patients with a shattered spinal disc, pain management specialists prescribe injections, which work effectively to give relief and treat the condition.

A pain management specialist can make the best assessments on bone and joint pain. Being trained especially in bone and joint pain management, you can bank upon pain management specialists to receive the best treatment for your bone or joint pain.

3 Reasons to See a Pain Management Specialist for Bone and Joint Pain

As children, you have probably learnt that paralysis is complete inability to move, sense, touch or control other bodily sensations. But little did we know that paralysis comes in many forms depending on the extent to which a person is immobilized. So, what is the difference between partial and total paralysis?

What is Total Paralysis?
Whether temporary or permanent, paralysis is the inability to move part of the body due to nerve damage. However it does not mean that people with total paralysis cannot move any parts of the body   they can still use their faces and necks. The extensive form of paralysis is typically referred to as quadriplegia, which involves diminished or absence of movement in the trunk, arms, legs, hands and feet. Some common symptoms of total paralysis are as follows:

Difficulty swallowing
Unable to control bowels and bladder
Pain anywhere in the body
No sensation below the site of injury
Difficulty breathing
What is partial paralysis?
A smaller portion of the body is affected by partial paralysis. One of the most common types of partial paralysis is Paraplegia that occurs below the waist. If affects both the legs, hips and other functions. Other forms of partial paralysis can be Monoplegia where a single area like one limb gets affected and Hemiplegia where parts of the body on the same side get affected. Some common symptoms of partial paralysis are as follows:

Inability to walk
Difficulty with sexual functioning
Pain below the site of injury
Unable to feel or move your legs or arms
How to Predict the type of paralysis?
The location of the injury or site of nerve damage will usually determine the type of paralysis. Damages in the cervical spinal cord almost inevitably lead to total paralysis associated with quadriplegia. The higher the injury is located, the more extensive the paralysis will be. Lower injuries commonly lead to partial paralysis. The prognosis is generally much better with this type of paralysis. With proper care and therapy, individuals may experience intermittent difficulties with movement and can regain.

Can paralysis be treated?
Whether it is total paralysis or partial paralysis, the positive prognosis is certainly possible, given the condition of the patient and other factors. Physical therapy involves teaching the brain and spinal cord to work around the damage and also aid neuron healing over time. Paralysis can be classified under a number of ways and the most basic classification is that of partial or complete paralysis. Talk to your doctor to understand what type of paralysis you have and adopt a positive outlook to help you towards recovery.

Partial Vs Complete Paralysis - Know The Difference!

Does you back hurt only when you wake up in the morning or is it a chronic problem? If yes, then you need to take immediate steps to treat it. Back pain, being the common physical anomaly for people primarily in the age range of 35-50, is one of the top causes for office absenteeism and mid-life lethargy and fatigue. Usually back pain indicates an underlying problem that involves the nerves, bones and muscles.

Here are some risk factors for back pain:

Pregnancy
Stress related to work
Leading a sedentary lifestyle
Anxiety and depression
Being overweight
Over exercising
Strenuous physical work outs
Smoking
There are varied reasons as to why back pain may occur. Discussing the causes of back pain is beyond the purview of this article; the focus is now going to be on some of the stretches one can practice to get relief from back pain: 

Downward dog: A classic yoga pose, the downward dog stretches the entire back, hamstrings and the whole of the leg. Begin the process in a classic push up pose with the palms and toes on the floor. Keeping your back straight, lift your tailbone up and straighten your legs. Push the heels to the floor and breathe to get the most out of this stretch.
Child s pose: A simple stretch, it begins with you sitting back on your buttocks and then stretching the arms in front of you. Keep your forehead on the floor and breathe slowly.
Cat cow pose: If your common complaint is that of a sore and painful back, then this is one of the best stretches for you. A very simple pose, you begin by sitting on all fours, then transitioning into the cat pose by pushing your spine upwards. Hold the pose for one breath and then go to the cow pose wherein you lift your buttocks and the head while scooping your spine.

Back Pain - 3 Stretch Exercises You Must Follow!

A Tennis elbow is a painful condition that affects the tendons due to a condition known as tendinitis, which causes inflammation. This condition will end up restricting the free movement of the elbow and the arm due to the pain and stiffness that it causes. This is due to the fact that these tendons are the tough band of connective tissues that hold the muscles and the lower arm with the bone. Repeated gripping motions and continued tugging as well as activities like weight lifting, tennis, squash and other like carpentry, painting writing and typing, can lead to this condition.

Here are a few methods of treatment and the questions that revolve around them.

Do I have to restrict my movements: Yes, when you have tennis elbow, the very first thing you must do is to give rest to the tendons by curbing those activities that have caused the condition or those which can aggravate the pain and stiffness. Lifting heavy objects, gripping things for prolong periods, other physical pursuits like tennis and other games and more will need to stop so that you do not stretch, strain or pull the tissue.
Can I take pain killers: Yes, you can take pain killers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen in case the pain is unbearable? Always ensure that an orthopedic specialist takes a look at your arm before prescribing the medicines to you.
Is an ice compress good for this pain: You can use the RICE method for acute pain that is less than 72 hours old. For more persistent pain, you must see a doctor. The RICE method refers to Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. In this method, you can keep your arm elevated and give it rest. You can also use an ice compress and keep it tightly wound with an elastic bandage so as to avoid swelling.
Can I take injections for this condition: Corticosteroid injections may be used for very severe cases. This contains the cortisol hormone and can give good results in the short run.
Are there any non-invasive methods for treatment: You can try non-invasive procedures like shock wave therapy which will help in fixing the pain and promote motion gradually. This procedure is usually conducted with the help of shock waves that are passed to the skin.
Is exercising a complete no: In this case, many orthopedic surgeons and doctors will ask you to go through physiotherapy so that you can get used to movements and motion after prolonged pain. These exercises will also strengthen the muscles of the area.
Talk to your doctor if the pain is particularly debilitating and discuss surgery for the same.

Tennis Elbow Treatment - What Are The FAQs Of It?

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