miami797

I personally suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and I'm thinking between the stress and motions of lifting weights, water retention from steroid use, and computer use (If you're on a forum their's a good chance you spend time on a computer) that quite a few of you suffer in the same way I do.


Found this from the Mayo Clinc:

Signs and symptoms:
Carpal tunnel syndrome typically starts gradually with a vague aching in your wrist that can extend to your hand or forearm. Other common carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms include:

Tingling or numbness in your fingers or hand, especially your thumb, index, middle or ring fingers, but not your little finger. This sensation often occurs while driving a vehicle or holding a phone or a newspaper or upon awakening. Many people "shake out" their hands to relieve their symptoms.
Pain radiating or extending from your wrist up your arm to your shoulder or down into your palm or fingers, especially after forceful or repetitive use. This usually occurs on palm side of your forearm.
A sense of weakness in your hands and a tendency to drop objects.
A constant loss of feeling in some fingers. This can occur if the condition is advanced.


Causes:
The cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve. The median nerve is a mixed nerve, meaning it has a sensory function and also provides nerve signals to move your muscles (motor function). The median nerve provides sensation to your thumb, index finger, middle finger and the middle-finger side of the ring finger.

Pressure on the nerve can stem from anything that reduces the space for it in the carpal tunnel. Causes might include anything from bone spurs to the most common cause, which is swelling or thickening of the lining and lubricating layer (synovium) of the tendons in your carpal tunnel.

The exact cause of the swelling usually isn't known, but a variety of conditions and factors can play a role:

Other health conditions- Some examples include rheumatoid arthritis, certain hormonal disorders . such as diabetes, thyroid disorders and menopause, fluid retention due to pregnancy, or deposits of amyloid, an abnormal protein produced by cells in your bone marrow.

Repetitive use or injury- Repetitive flexing and extending of the tendons in the hands and wrists, particularly when done forcefully and for prolonged periods without rest, also can increase pressure within the carpal tunnel. Injury to your wrist can cause swelling that exerts pressure on the median nerve.

Physical characteristics- It may be that your carpal tunnel is more narrow than average. Other less common causes include a generalized nerve problem or pressure on the median nerve at more than one location.


Risk Factors:
Some studies suggest that carpal tunnel syndrome can result from overuse or strain in certain job tasks that require a combination of repetitive, forceful and awkward or stressed motions of your hands and wrists. Examples of these include using power tools — such as chippers, grinders, chain saws or jackhammers — and heavy assembly line work, such as occurs in a meatpacking plant. Although repetitive computer use is commonly assumed to cause carpal tunnel syndrome, the scientific evidence for this association isn't definitive.

Although it's not clear which activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, if your work or hobbies are hand-intensive — involving a combination of awkward, repetitive wrist or finger motions, forceful pinching or gripping, and working with vibrating tools — you may be at higher risk of developing the condition.


Your sex- Women are three times as likely as men are to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. The incidence in women peaks after menopause, and the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome also increases in men during middle age.

Heredity- You may be significantly more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome if close relatives have had the condition. Inherited physical characteristics, such as the shape of your wrist, may make you more susceptible.

Certain health conditions- Conditions including some thyroid problems, diabetes, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis can increase your risk. Women who are pregnant, taking oral contraceptives or going through menopause also are at increased risk, most likely due to hormonal changes. Fluid retention may be a cause of carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy. Fortunately, carpal tunnel syndrome related to pregnancy almost always improves after childbirth. People who smoke cigarettes may experience worse symptoms and slower recovery from carpal tunnel syndrome than nonsmokers do.


Treatment:
Some people with mild symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can ease their discomfort by taking more frequent breaks to rest their hands and applying cold packs to reduce occasional swelling. If these techniques don't offer relief, carpal tunnel syndrome treatment options include wrist splinting, medications and surgery.

Nonsurgical therapy
Most people with carpal tunnel syndrome experience effective treatment with nonsurgical methods, including:

Wrist splinting- A splint that holds your wrist still while you sleep can help relieve nighttime symptoms of tingling and numbness. Splinting is more likely to help you if you've had only mild to moderate symptoms for less than a year.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs- NSAIDs may help relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome if you have an associated inflammatory condition. If no inflammatory condition is involved, NSAIDs are unlikely to help relieve your symptoms.

Corticosteroids- Your doctor may inject your carpal tunnel with a corticosteroid, such as cortisone, to relieve your pain. Corticosteroids decrease inflammation, thus relieving pressure on the median nerve. Oral corticosteroids aren't as effective as corticosteroid injections for treating carpal tunnel syndrome.