Carpal tunnel syndrome

You're working at your desk, ignoring the tingling or numbness you've had for months in your hand and wrist. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shoots through the wrist and up your arm.

Just a passing cramp? The result may be pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. More likely you have carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.

It is common in people doing assembly line work - manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, and meat, poultry, or fish packing.

Prevention:

To protect your hands, take the following precautions:

1. Reduce force and relax your grip
2. Stop any activity that you think may be causing finger, hand, or wrist numbness or pain
3. Switch hands and change positions often when you are doing repeated motions. Take breaks
4. Do exercises to flex and stretch your hands and wrists before work
5. Use correct sitting posture
6. Wear a wrist splint while sleeping

Yoga Stretching:

• Extend and stretch both the wrists straight out. Hold and relax the wrist and bend them forward
• Same stretched position of wrist now moves it on both sides