Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Infrared Heat Therapy

Photo Courtesy of AMA

by Anna Miller

Don't laugh, there's a list of new warm, USB infrared heated computer gadgets available to help prevent the onset of repetitive strain injuries like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. So, instead of causing problems, the computer may actually be helping us!

Many people suffer from hand and arm injuries due to overusing the computer mouse hand and keyboard hands. It's referred to as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD). The most common form of the condition is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve running from the arm to the hand gets squeezed near the wrist. The median nerve deals with the palm side of the thumb, most of the fingers and some muscles in the hand. The area called the "carpal tunnel" is a narrow area of ligament and bone at the base of the hand that holds the median nerve and some tendons. When the median nerve gets squeezed, it usually causes pain, tingling, numbness and weakness in the hand, wrist and arm.

The onset of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is gradual. So, taking a proactive approach to this type of condition is the smart thing to do. There are things a person can do to help decrease the chance of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and possibly prevent it altogether.

The most obvious health tips include relaxing the hand's grip on objects like the computer mouse, excercising the hands and arms instead of sitting in the same position for long hours, creating a healthy ergonomic computer work area and keeping the hands using the computer warm.