Be The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

I really am enjoying the healthy eating theme, but I also want to get back to hands, which I started a week ago. Spring break definitely put a crimp in writing time. I suspect the long anticipated arrival of warm weather will too, my garden is calling! You know you are feeling a bit of cabin fever when you are excited to clean up after the deer.

I know a lot of people are spending more time on computers, more time crafting and more time on home renovations. (Paint sales at home depot have tripled since we have started isolating!) So the upcoming repetitive strain injury topics are timely. So I will alternate the healthy eating with the hand conditions.

With life being turned upside down and many people are working from home, there are a lot of makeshift offices being created. Kitchen tables and couches are not ideal office furniture. People may be spending more time on laptops and tablets, instead of desktop computers. They might not have their bluetooth or hands-free phones. Students are spending their school day on the computer. No recess or even walking from class to class to shake off the stiffness.

It's not just the environmental challenges of working from home. There are the technical frustrations with wifi, trying to learn new software and apps. Tell me honestly, had you ever heard of Zoom before mid March? Multiple family members have different routines in the same space. Patience is stretched thin, people are out of their comfort zones and tension is high.

Then there is the absence of our stress relievers. We can't go to the gym, yoga, after-school activities, the library, the pool, playgrounds, the pub, movies, guys night or girls night. Baseball and soccer should be starting up. People should be preparing for camping, weddings and reunions. The longer physical distancing goes on, especially as the weather gets warmer, the more we are going to feel the effects.

Look for creative ways to replace your usual activities. Check the websites/facebook pages of organizations you were involved with. A lot of fitness and yoga instructors have started online classes, or have links to some good ones. Get some fresh air and sunshine (when it's shining), even if it's just sitting on your step with a cup of tea. Experiment in the kitchen, try to create dishes (or beverages) from your favourite restaurant or pub. Plant something. I'm a strong believer in the therapeutic value of dirt. A pot of herbs in a window is good for the soul. Play a game with a friend using face time. Start a group chat with your peeps. All those things you have been putting off because you didn't have time...

All this chaos adds up to increased tension, stiffness, muscle pain and headaches. So lets see what we can do about the aftermath of poor ergonomics. Or maybe prevent them!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Not this kind of tunnel

The carpal tunnel is a space formed by the wrist bones (carpals) and a ligament (flexor retinaculum). The median nerve and 9 different tendons pass through the tunnel. It functions like the outer casing around electrical wires that protects them from excessive bending that would break the copper wires. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) results when the median nerve is compressed in the carpal tunnel. The median nerve supplies the thumb, first and second finger  and half of the ring finger, so if it is compressed, numbness and tingling results in these digits. It’s like having a hair elastic around your wrist and getting “pins & needles”. It is common for symptoms to wake you up at night.

This kind of tunnel

CTS is most often found in people with jobs that require repetitive wrist movements (assembly line, butchers, painters) or holding the wrist in a compressing position (computers). Eventually, the pain can travel up the arm to the forearm, elbow, even the shoulder. It usually affect the dominate hand, but can be in either hand or both. The swelling that some women get in their hands with pregnancy or with PMS can create CTS symptoms until the swelling goes down.  Sleeping on your stomach or with your arm above your head can aggravate symptoms.

Testing needs to be done to properly diagnose CTS, as many other conditions can have similar symptoms. Many people are under the impression that the only treatment for CTS is surgery. Surgery is a solution if there are lesions or bony cysts in the tunnel that are physically blocking the way. Most people with CTS symptoms can be treated with massage because the culprit is tight muscles and tendons.

Prevention

Good body mechanics and ergonomics at work.

Arms bent 90 degrees at elbow

Screen at eye level

Wrists should be relaxed, hands should not be bent backwards. Use a wrist rest if necessary, it doesn't have to be fancy, a rolled up hand towel will do.

If you have a chronic issue, you may want to consider investing in a keyboard and mouse that are designed for better ergonomics. 

The angle of a mouse places the hand in a more neutral handshake position with no bending at the wrist. 

I won't lie, getting used to a split ergonomic keyboard takes some time. It keeps your hands further apart, so you don't contract your pects so much, has a built in wrist rest, and is higher in the center so your hands are in more relaxed position.

If you use a laptop, and do a lot of typing on it, put some serious thought into getting an wireless keyboard. With a laptop, you can either have the screen in the right position, or the keyboard. Not both. They aren't expensive, I got mine for $25 and it's very slim and lightweight. Then put your laptop on books or a box so the screen is at eye level.

Many crafting tools and gardening tools have a version with a larger cushioned handle which reduces hand fatigue.

Tool handles should have a comfortable grip. Too small or too slippery leads to a “death grip”.

Tools shouldn’t be too long or too heavy which makes the muscles work harder than necessary.

Knives should be kept sharp. The blade should cut, not the force of pushing down on it.

Take frequent breaks when using tools to relax your hands and stretch.

And Look, Here Are Some Stretches For That Break!

Extend your right arm straight in front of you, palm up. Use your left hand to push your palm down, so it bends at the wrist and your fingers point to the floor. Hold 20-30 seconds. Return to neutral

Turn your hand over, so the palm is toward the floor. Use your left hand to pull the palm up so your fingers point toward the ceiling. Hold 20-30 seconds. Return to neutral.

With your left hand,  push on the back of your right hand so your fingers point to the floor. Hold 20-30 seconds. Return to neutral.

Repeat the last stretch with your right hand in a fist. Hold 20-30 seconds. (my stretching guinea pig was surprised how much different this one felt from the previous stretch)

Repeat with the left hand.

Other Ways to Get Relief

When you take those frequent breaks, shake your hands, keep your wrists loose, like a rag doll. Do the Hokey Pokey...

Alternate making fists with spreading fingers wide.

Wiggle your fingers, like a kid pretending to play the piano.

Don't crack your knuckles, it can increase inflammation.

Don't forget to massage the forearm and hand periodically to help those muscles to loosen up! Massage up the arm, you don't want to encourage swelling in the hand or wrist.

Find ways to reduce your stress.

Try a different pillow. Using a body pillow can help you stay off your stomach. 

Hot or Cold?

Running the wrists under cool water or using a wrapped ice pack will reduce swelling. (Might as well soap up while you are there!)

If you have edema (fluid build up) alternating between warm and cool can help flush it out,

Heat on the arm and shoulder muscles can help them to relax.

Braces and splints should only be used for short term. Excessive use weakens the muscles and can lead to dependence on supports.