Understanding Carpal Tunnel And How It Can Arise In Young Athletes

By Phil Book


There has been a huge increase in youth sports over the past few years and an unfortunate side effect of this would be the high number of youth injuries that have occurred. Research shows that High School athletes alone have experienced over two million injuries, 500,000 visits to the doctor, and a full 30,000 hospital stays. One of the most frequently experience injuries those youths will suffer from is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Anyone that suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome will experience quite a bit of numbness or tingling in the hands. CTS deals with the irritation of the synovial membranes and these membranes are located in the carpal tunnel area. This irritation can cause a lot of annoying and aggravating pressure on the median nerve. This nerve is located on the forearm and travels to the hand through a form of a tunnel in the wrist. Through investing a little time to learn more about this condition, it might be possible to learn how to both prevent and treat it.

Anyone that has to deal with the various problems of CTS will also note they might end up suffering from considerable numbness in the fingers. This numbness might affect the extremities of the hand. This annoying numbness might occur often at night. The pain can reach a level of intensity that could even wake a person right out of a deep sleep. A burning sensation might even be felt in the finger region. There will be instances where the weakened grip results ends up making it difficult to securely hold onto an object.

It is strongly advisable not to be dismissive of the presence of symptoms related to CTS and this symptoms do appear sometimes to mimic Paresthesia. This condition is known to impact the thoracic outlet in the arm. A was mentioned earlier, the meridian nerve travels through the forearm until it eventually reaches the carpal tunnel when it can remain and cause those aforementioned symptoms.

CTS can be attributed to anything that can cause irritation o the synovial membranes located around the tendons of the hands which lead to pressure on the median nerve. The most common irritating actions would be consistent grasping, bending the wrist all the time, arthritis and even diabetes. Overuse of the hand can further contribute to the onset of CTS. You see this overuse a lot in the world of sports. Other factors that can cause such a problem would be tumors, trauma and, possibly, obesity.

Left untreated CTS can permanently damage the median nerve. When the nerve is damaged, continual numbness and weakness, as well as the other symptoms of CTS will result. Also, the muscles in the hands and fingers will atrophy. Ideally treatment will reduce the associated symptoms and correct the problem.

One of the best Carpal Tunnel healing strategies to employ is rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Keeping the wrist immobilized in a brace would be a smart move as well. Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to help reduce the amount of pain that is felt and it could even cut down on the amount of damage that might occur to the nerves.

If there is no improvement to the condition, a doctor might suggest having Corticosteroid injections done and, possibly, surgery. Surgery could end up being the only viable treatment some employ to experience an improvement. Carpal Tunnel Release would be the procedure that ends up releasing the nerve.

It is becoming obvious that the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome among young athletes is on the rise; this condition is treatable but the best way to deal with it would be to take the steps to avoid it.

It is possible to avoid CTS by way of using proper technique in performance and also by avoiding putting your hands and arms through too much stress. When you are starting to show the common symptoms of CTS, then you are well advise to speak with a doctor. Do not wait to see if the problem fixes itself. You must get professional advice to avoid having to go through a troubling surgery.




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