It Might Be A Blockage In Your Lymphatic System
Lymphedema is a rare limb-swelling disease that comes on when lymph fluid doesnt adequately drain. Your fingers and toes may swell, and usually your arms and legs will swell, too. Your skin may also feel tight or thicker than usual, according to a report from the National Cancer Institute. Lymphedema has been linked with surgery or radiation breast cancer treatments. In rare cases, lymphedema can also be caused by an abnormal growth near a lymph node or vessel, which can lead to fluid blockage.
Stay updated on the latest science-backed health, fitness, and nutrition news by signing up for the Prevention.com newsletter here.
Hand And Wrist Pain From Joint Or Blood Vessel Problems
These four conditions involve disorders with the joints of the hands and wrist or the blood vessels, which can trigger symptoms similar to those of carpal tunnel syndrome:
Compartment syndromeMuscle groups, plus the nerves and blood vessels that support them, are surrounded by protective sheaths known as fascia, and this encapsulated tissue is called a compartment. If swelling develops in a compartmentmost often as the result of a traumatic injurythe resulting pressure can cut off blood supply to the area, causing symptoms of pain, numbness, and tingling. When compartment syndrome affects one of the compartments of the hand or forearm, these symptoms can mimic carpal tunnel syndrome.
Raynaud phenomenonRaynaud phenomenon is a condition in which blood vessels to the fingers, toes, nose, and/or ears spasm and blood flow is cut off, causing skin to turn white and then blue, and eventually red as blood flow returns. The condition is not painful. Symptoms are usually triggered by cold temperatures or strong emotions.
Arthritis in hand or wristThe joints of the hand and wrist can degenerate and/or become inflamed, causing pain, stiffness, and weakness in grip . Joint pain is commonly a symptom of arthritis, with the two main types being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis often strikes a single joint, while rheumatoid arthritis usually affects multiple joints in the both hands simultaneously.
See Diagnosing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Versus Arthritis
If you have ever had a hand or leg go to sleep because of pressure that temporarily cuts off the blood supply, you can get an idea of what carpal tunnel can feel like. The prickling, burning sensation can be similar to the numbness caused by compressing the median nerve, which runs in a narrow tunnel like structure formed by the bones and connective tissues from the elbow to the hand. The tendons and median nerve allow the fingers of your hand to flex and extend.
The median nerve carries impulses to and from the palm side of your hand to the index, middle, and ring fingers, as well as your thumb. If the tissues of the tunnel are irritated , they can swell and place pressure on the nerve.
Arthritis of the hand, however, is caused by a different mechanism, often showing up with a specific pattern in the way it attacks the joints. In the case of arthritis, the lining of the joint itself becomes inflamed. This can occur because of osteoarthritis , or other inflammatory processes caused by a defect in the immune response, in which the body attacks otherwise healthy tissue. The symptoms of arthritis include stiffness and soreness of the joint, and frequently starts with the smaller joints of the hands.
If you, or a loved one has carpal tunnel syndrome or any form of arthritis, or you would like more information about treatments for carpal tunnel or arthritis, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Orthopaedic Associates at 892-1440 today.
You May Like: Fracture Vs Sprain Wrist
What You Need To Know
- Carpal tunnel release is one of the most common hand conditions requiring surgery.
- Symptoms may include tingling, pain, numbness or weakness in the thumb through ring fingers of the affected hand.
- Women get carpal tunnel syndrome three times more often than men.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive condition that can worsen without proper care.
- Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome often occur during pregnancy and can be alleviated with nonsurgical treatments. Symptoms often improve after delivery, but such patients are at higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome later in life.
Do You Have Wrist Tendonitis
It is important to understand what exactly Tendonitis is.
Tendonitis can show up pretty much anywhere in the body .
Make sure that you understand the answer to the question: What Is Tendonitis?
There is an all encompassing aspect of Tendonitis that Western Medicine fails to take into account, especially with Wrist Tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
The aspect is that when there is pain, muscles get tight.
Connective tissue connects EVERYTHING in our bodies. Connective tissue in the forearms and wrist gets shrunk down and constricted when you have Tendonitis.
The constant motion that comes with repetitive strain injuries, literally causes wear and tear on tendons. But that’s not all…
You also have constantly too tight muscles and constrictive connective tissue.
When you have Tendonitis anywhere between your hand and your elbow, that constricting connective tissue not only helps compress nerve leading to the hand, but the ‘carpal tunnel’ can be compressed from all the local shrinkage.
This is why Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is so over diagnosed.
The Carpal Tunnel may be compressed but it generally is not actually the problem.
Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery, aside from all it’s other downsides, is doomed to fail if ‘releasing’ the tunnel doesn’t release or reverse the source of all the constriction and it doesn’t. It won’t. It can’t.
What All Tendonitis Has In Common
Tendonitis is Tendonitis. No matter where symptoms show up.
Watch This ‘Basics’ video
You May Like: Heat And Ice For Sciatica
Basics Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the fingers and thumb. Specifically, carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of the median nerve located in the wrist. This nerve supplies feeling to the thumb, index, middle and ring finger. The carpal tunnel is a well defined space in the palm at the wrist. The two walls of this anatomical tunnel are formed by bones that support the wrist. The roof of the tunnel is the thick transverse carpal ligament. Several tendons and the median nerve pass through this tunnel. Space in the tunnel decreases when tendons swell or the ligament thickens. Pressure inside the tunnel increases and restricts blood flow to the nerve. The pressure is most noticeable when the wrist is fully extended or flexed.
What Are The Causes
Carpal tunnel pain occurs when the tendon presses on the median nerve. With inflammation, the space within the carpal tunnel shrinks, adding to the compression of the nerve.
Some people, often women, have a smaller tunnel and are more at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Repetitive movements with the wrist in an unnatural position or overuse are seen among office workers, computer/smart phone users, carpenters, assembly line workers, musicians, and some athletes. Carpal tunnel syndrome can also develop with illness , obesity, smoking, or pregnancy. It can result from trauma, an injury to the upper arm, a dislocated wrist, or a fracture.
Read Also: Is Stomach Cramps A Symptom Of Pregnancy
What Is Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Carpal Tunnel Surgery is an outpatient surgery where the transverse ligament is cut. This ligament compromises the roof of the carpal tunnel which is intended to release the pressure and irritation of the median nerve. There are many different techniques with open surgery and endoscopic surgery being the most common.
How Often Is Hand Pain Caused By Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
While carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition, it has a different set of symptoms from many other sources of hand pain. There are actually several similar conditions that cause hand pain. These include:
- De Quervains tendinosis: A condition where swelling affects the wrist and base of the thumb. In this condition, you will feel pain when you make a fist and simulate shaking someones hand.
- Trigger finger: This condition causes soreness at the base of the finger or thumb. Trigger finger also causes pain, locking and stiffness when bending the fingers and thumb.
- Arthritis: This is a general term for many conditions that cause stiffness and swelling in your joints. Arthritis can impact many joints in your body and ranges from causing small amounts of discomfort to breaking down the joint over time .
Read Also: How Do You Tell If Your Wrist Is Broken
Who Is At Risk Of Developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. People with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the bodys nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk. CTS usually occurs only in adults.
Workplace factors may contribute to existing pressure on or damage to the median nerve. The risk of developing CTS is not confined to people in a single industry or job, but may be more reported in those performing assembly line worksuch as manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, and meatpackingthan it is among data-entry personnel.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosis And Tests
Your doctor may tap the palm side of your wrist, a test called Tinel sign, or fully flex your wrist with your arms extended. They might also do tests including:
- Imaging tests. X-rays, ultrasounds, or MRI exams can let your doctor look at your bones and tissues.
- Electromyogram. Your doctor puts a thin electrode into a muscle to measure its electrical activity.
- Nerve conduction studies. Your doctor tapes electrodes to your skin to measure the signals in the nerves of your hand and arm.
Also Check: Can Too Many Blueberries Cause Diarrhea
Recurrent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
It is possible to have recurrent symptoms after carpal tunnel surgery. The likelihood of this complication is estimated to be about 10 to 15%.
Unfortunately, even if this problem is addressed with another surgical procedure, the results of a second surgery tend to be not as favorable as the results of initial surgery.
Hand Pain Hand Injuries & Swollen Hand Tissue Can Be Early Symptoms Of Cts
Often, hand injury and the resulting hand pain can be one of the first signals of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is due to the swelling of the injured and damaged soft tissue in and around the Carpal Tunnel of the Hand. Soft tissue is made up of cartilage, fascia tissue, ligaments, tendons, tendon sheaths in which the tendons slide to prevent damage to surrounding tissue and muscles.
The swelling of the injured tissue puts external pressure on blood vessels and nerves in the relatively tight space in and around the Carpal Tunnel at the base of the hand.
Continuous mild repetitive hand activity can result in routine swelling of the soft tissue
This external pressure on blood vessels reduces circulation of nutrient rich blood and slows the recovery process during sleep when the body naturally rests, regenerates and heals. Swollen injured tissue in the hand in can put pressure on the Median Nerve in the Carpal Tunnel cutting off the feeling sensation to the hand and resulting in pain and early symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Tammie, Pilates Instructor, Kansas City, Missouri
Worn for many hours during sleep, the Carpal Solution allows the hands full access to the natural healing nutrients of oxygen rich blood during sleep.
People with routine injuries to their hands and wrist, who have not yet developed full Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, find the Carpal Solution speeds the healing and recovery process and prevents the development of the chronic symptoms of the syndrome.
You May Like: Is Heat Or Ice Good For Nerve Pain
How Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Recognized
People who suspect carpal tunnel syndrome often consult a doctor. The evaluation of occupational carpal tunnel syndrome includes identifying workplace risks. Evaluation begins with a discussion of the person’s employment and requires a detailed description of all the processes involved in a typical day’s work. It also requires consideration of the frequency, intensity, duration and regularity of each task performed at work. Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is confirmed by performing certain tests to detect damage to the median nerve.
- Tinel’s test – The physician taps the median nerve at the wrist. A tingling response in one or more fingers indicates damage to the median nerve.
- Phalen’s test – The patient puts the backs of the hands together and bends the wrists for one minute. Tingling of the fingers indicates damage to the median nerve.
- Electromyography – Electrodes are placed on the forearm and electrical current is passed through the patient. Measurements on how fast and how well the median nerve transmits messages to muscles indicate if there is damage to this nerve.
Research And Possible Risk Factors
Researchers have found that a previous wrist fracture and the use of insulin, metformin, and sulphonylureas are associated with a higher chance of CTS. Smoking, hormone replacement therapy , the combined oral contraceptive pill, and oral corticosteroids did not appear to be not linked to a higher risk of CTS.
One study has suggested that obesity, combined with a square-shaped wrist shape, may increase the likelihood of CTS developing. However, the team concluded that obesity was probably not the cause, because when participants with obesity lost weight, they continued to have CTS.
The same team concluded in other research that the age of women at the menopause might be a factor, and that pregnancy-related hormones may increase the risk of CTS in women at the time of the menopause.
Postmenopausal women who use aromatase inhibitor drugs for breast cancer often experience CTS.
Apart from work-related factors, the main risk for CTS is inflammatory arthritis, but hypothyroidism and diabetes also appear to increase the chance of developing it, according to research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that CTS is three times more likely to occur among people working in assembly operations than in data-entry personnel.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety list the following occupations as risk factors for CTS:
According to the National Library of Medicine, there is
Don’t Miss: How To Use Ginger For Knee Pain
Can Yoga Ease Carpal Tunnel
There’s strong evidence that yoga can reduce pain and improve grip strength. In one small study, participants who did an eight-week yoga regimen of 11 postures designed to strengthen, stretch, and balance the joints of the upper body had better outcomes than participants who wore wrist splints and participants who were given no treatment at all.
How Can We Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome may involve redesigning work stations, tools, or the job, and educating workers. Proper work station design reduces awkward wrist positions and minimizes the stressful effects of repetitive motions. Awkward positions can originate from unsuitable work station designs that do not take into account the size and proportions of the human body. Work stations should be adjustable and should accommodate a vast majority of people who work in that area.
Redesigning work methods is important. For example, using an adjustable fixture to hold an electrical housing, as Figure 3 shows, reduces wrist flexion.
You May Like: Broken Wrist Cast Pictures
Immediately After Surgery For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
After the operation, you can expect that:
- If you had a general anaesthetic, nurses will check your temperature, pulse, breathing, blood pressure and wound site frequently.
- You should not eat anything for at least four hours after the operation.
- Your wrist may be placed in a sling to help reduce swelling.
- Your wrist may be quite painful or uncomfortable for a couple of days. Your doctor will order analgesia .
- You should exercise your hand and wrist as soon as possible, following your doctors advice.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Faqs
Q: Does typing cause CTS?A: Typing is associated with an increased likelihood of developing repetitive strain injury . If RSI affects the tendons or ligaments in the carpal tunnel, this can cause compression on the median nerve and the development of CTS. However, research has shown that there is at most a very small direct link between computer work and CTS. Activities which involve using the hands and wrists with a greater intensity, such as using vibrating tools, are significantly more likely to cause CTS than typing. The use of ergonomic computer keyboards is, however, sometimes recommended as a preventative measure against developing CTS.
Q: Can children be affected by CTS?A: CTS in children is rare. When it develops, it is most commonly related to having a genetically inherited condition associated with inflammation, such as lysosomal storage disease, which can cause swelling in the joints and pressure to build up in the carpal tunnel. The symptoms of CTS and its treatment options are the same for children as for adults. If you are concerned that your child, or a child that you know, may be affected by CTS, you can get a free symptom assessment by downloading the Ada app.
-
ââ¬ÅCarpal tunnel syndrome fact sheet.ââ¬ï¿½ National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 10 May 2017. Accessed: 29 January 2018.
-
ââ¬ÅNonoccupational risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome].ââ¬ï¿½ Journal of General Internal Medicine. May 1999. Accessed: 29 January 2018.
-
Read Also: Is My Wrist Fractured Or Sprained
What Are The Symptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in the fingers or hand. Some people may have pain in their arm between their hand and their elbow.
Symptoms most often occur in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. If you have problems with your other fingers but your little finger is fine, this may be a sign that you have carpal tunnel syndrome. A different nerve gives feeling to the little finger.
You may first notice symptoms at night. You may be able to get relief by shaking your hand.
https://www.knowmypain.com/wp-content/uploads/10-signs-of-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-rm-healthy.jpeg
https://www.knowmypain.com/does-carpal-tunnel-cause-swelling/
https://www.knowmypain.com/wp-content/uploads/10-signs-of-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-rm-healthy.jpeg
https://knowmypain.weebly.com/know-my-pain/does-carpal-tunnel-cause-swelling
No comments:
Post a Comment