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For the past few weeks, you’ve been noticing a strange tingling sensation in your fingers. You wake up in the morning and feel the need to shake your hands, as if they’d been asleep all night. You know it’s not writer’s cramp, because the only time you write things down is when you’re at school and taking notes. And each time you do try to jot down notes, your fingers feel so clumsy that the letters are barely legible. It’s getting painful to use a computer – and you’ve given up on playing video games. Lately things have gotten even more uncomfortable, as you’ve felt shooting pains in your wrists. Usually it happens and you try to shrug it off. But this might not be something that you can just shake off – you might have carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Maybe you’ve already heard of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), either in the news or through your parents. Luckily, carpal tunnel syndrome is pretty rare in teens. But it’s a growing concern, as it seems to be an increasingly common condition. In fact, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about three workers in every ten thousand missed time from work in 1998 due to CTS. Some people assume that there is a definite link between CTS and computer use. After all, the computer requires repetitive, limited movements, whether you’re typing, using the mouse, or playing computer games with a joystick. But the NINDS reports that the opposite is actually true: the Mayo Clinic found in a 2001 study that there was no apparent link between using a computer (even for up to seven hours per day) and CTS. Instead, the National Institute warns that assembly line work is the culprit: such a worker is three times more likely to develop CTS than someone working in data-entry. Risky jobs include: cleaning, manufacturing, meat packing, sewing, etc.
If you are worried that you might develop CTS, there are some simple preventative measures you can take now to keep your body healthy. The NINDS recommends that people remember to take breaks from working, stretch, and even wear wrist splints in order to keep the alignment straight. However, because we still do not have all the information on CTS and its causes, there is no guarantee that even the best prevention will actually work. But carpal tunnel syndrome does not have to be a permanent condition. For cases that require surgery, quicker and less invasive methods have been improved upon to correct the problem.
Are you concerned that you or your parents are at risk? Or do you suspect that your parent has CTS? Read on to learn more about this condition and its treatments!
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