Is constant hand pain getting on your nerves? Do you experience numbness, radiating pain and pins and needles, especially after repetitive use of your hands?

If this sounds familiar, you could be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.

The carpal tunnel is the name given to the space in your wrist which houses the tendons and nerves responsible for movement and sensation in your fingers. When the tendons in the hand become inflamed they take up more space in the carpal tunnel, reducing the room for the median nerve which occupies the same area.

Put under pressure from the swollen tendons, this nerve becomes squeezed and eventually injured, resulting in a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. Characterised by shooting pains, numbness and tingling in the hand and wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome is responsible for clumsiness and a weakened capacity to grasp small objects, along with painful movement and reduced use of the hand.

How you use your hands everyday can have a big impact on the development of the condition. Carpal tunnel syndrome has been linked to occupations which require specific repetitive hand actions, including hairdressers, cashiers, assembly line workers and bakers. In the home setting, tasks like typing, hand-weeding, sewing, knitting and the prolonged use of vibrating hand-held power tools have also been shown to cause inflammation of the carpal tunnel.

Although anybody can suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, it is three times as likely to occur in women aged between 40 and 60 years. People with certain types of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, are also at risk, along with pregnant women suffering from the retention of fluid.

If you have been experiencing the symptoms of this condition, thankfully there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Here at My Favourite Physio, we offer a range of non-invasive treatment options that can relieve the tingling and numbness caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, ultimately ending the pain and restoring movement to your fingers and hands.

You can begin the process by contacting us to get a full assessment from a qualified professional. Once one of our physiotherapists has identified the extent of the damage and what triggers your condition, our team will tailor a range of treatments to tackle your specific problem.

A few handy tips: Resting the injured area is a priority, and you may need to wear splints on the affected wrist and hand at night. Having regular physiotherapy will help increase mobility and relieve inflammation, while cortisone injections into the affected area will reduce swelling. If your condition is made worse by excess fluid, you may benefit from taking diuretic medications to ease fluid retention.

Whatever the cause of your carpal tunnel problems, we are committed to getting you back doing the activities you love. Contact us on (02) 9557 8521 to get your hands back on life!