Tag Archives: pain

Tips to Lessen Back Pain (Part 2)

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Back pain plagues millions of Americans every year, and is a major reason for doctor’s visits and ER trips around the country. Some think they have to live with the constant pain of a back on the fritz, but luckily, there are things that can be done to help relieve some of the discomfort. We looked at the first few in Tips to Lessen Back Pain (Part 1), now for the rest of our back-friendly tips:

 

  1. Eat right – by pursuing a healthier diet and loading up on anti-inflammatory foods, you’ll be doing your back (and the rest of your body) a huge favor. A healthier body will be less likely to submit to a back injury, and your diet really can have either a positive or negative impact on how much pain and inflammation you experience.
  2. Bring down your stress with meditation – In too many cases, perpetual stress is the real crux of a chronically bad back. Even if stress and tension aren’t the cause, they certainly make pain worse. If you suffer from a bad back, you should actively work on lowering your stress level. Meditation has proven effective for relieving back pain.
  3. Cuddle a pillow – Sleep on your back? Put a pillow under your knees. Sleep on your tummy? Put a small pillow under your lower tummy. Sleep on your side? Put a pillow between your knees. Making a pillow your bed-buddy will help relieve the stress on your spine and support your back’s natural curve, according to The University of Rochester Medical Center.
  4. Don’t let accessories weigh you down – sometimes when you have a bad back even carrying a heavy purse or sitting on a wallet can throw your back more out of whack. Go light with your accessories and make sure they aren’t compromising your gait or hanging too heavy.
  5. Stretch those hamstrings – Too-tight hamstring muscles can limit the range of motion of your pelvis which can cause strain on your back. If you want a better shot at less back pain, start adequately stretch out those upper legs to help loosen up the surrounding muscles.
  6. Lose extra weight – It is important if you’re experiencing any kind of chronic pain or other ailments, to try and aim for a healthy weight. Carrying around excess weight puts added pressure on your joints (and back) which can encourage more discomfort. By reaching a healthy weight for your height, you’ll be doing your back (and the rest of your bod) a definite favor.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! We hope our tips help you work toward a better quality of life.

The Skinny on Sciatica

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Sciatica (or sciatica-like) pain affects millions of Americans. It is often misunderstood, so we wanted to take a look at the facts:

  • Sciatica is not an official “condition”, but rather a term that describes a collection of symptoms related to irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
  • The medical term for sciatica is lumbar radiculopathy.
  • Sciatica doesn’t present the same way in everyone. Many people have different symptoms and different degrees of pain (mildly irritating to severely debilitating). For example, when the L5 vertebrae is pinched, the sufferer will often feel numbness of the foot.
  • Common symptoms include: a sensation of burning or tingling in the leg or hip, weakness and a harsh, continuous pain on one side of the lower body.
  • Conditions that may lead to sciatica include: spinal problems such as stenosis, an abnormal gait, spondylolisthesis, tumors, herniated discs, pressure from pregnancy or excess weight, or nerve trauma or injury.
  • The sciatic nerves are the longest in the body spanning from the lower back all the way down to the bottom of the leg on each side.
  • Sciatica can be difficult to diagnose. Sometimes other back problems such as sacroiliac joint pain is misdiagnosed as sciatica because they have similar symptoms. Proper diagnosis is difficult, but essential for effective treatment.
  • Sciatica is best treated non-invasively and not usually with too many medications until physiotherapy or another type of therapy is tried first. Surgery is necessary in some cases when severe sciatica is definitively identified and cannot be helped by other approaches.
  • Regular exercise and a healthy diet may help decrease your chances of developing problems with your sciatic nerve as a healthy lifestyle promotes better overall health.
  • If you’re not in too much pain, exercise can actually help ease the discomfort of sciatica pain in the short term. A sedentary life can contribute to back problems.
  • While it is most often caused by a problem with the discs, sciatica can also be non-structural or idiopathic by nature. Sometimes psychoemotional factors come into play during the healing process.

That concludes our look at sciatica. Thanks for visiting DocChat! Remember, our board-certified doctors are standing by 24/7/365 with any medical concerns you may have!

 

Do you Have the Kneezles?

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Well, we tricked you! ‘The Kneezles’ aren’t a real condition, but we do want to examine some common conditions that affect the knees and let you know what you can do to help them!

  1. Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome is a condition that usually begins and resolves itself in early adolescence. It can be triggered by growth spurts and causes inflammation of the patellar tendon. It can be quite painful and often interferes with recreational sports. OTC medications and physio can help make this syndrome less painful.
  2. Bursitis or tendonitis both cause painful soft tissue inflammation around the knee bone (or any other joint). Because tendons are crucial to any kind of movement, both these conditions can be highly painful and restrict movement. Ice and heat, TENS machines and physio may be helpful for cases of knee tendonitis or bursitis.
  3. Arthritis – there are many different forms of arthritis that can cause chronic knee pain including: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, psoriatic, gout, reactive arthritis or lupus, just to name a few. If you experience regular aching or pain in your knees as well as other joints, it may be time for a doctor’s visit to see if you may have some type of arthritis.
  4. Cartilage problems – Cartilage is a firm connective tissue found between the bones and joints, within the ribs, around the spine and in the face and respiratory tract. When it becomes injured, damaged or begins to break down it can be very painful as bone will then rub against bone without any cushioning. The knees are a common spot for weathering cartilage. Sometimes this can be helped by physio and other therapy, but severe cases require surgery.
  5. Restless leg syndrome is a troubling sleep/movement disorder that causes an overwhelming urge to move the legs or causes involuntary muscle movements that can be very unpleasant and drastically interfere with sleep. Many people with this condition report unpleasant sensations and activity in the knees. There is not much known about this disorder, but luckily there are some naturopathic and medication treatments that seem to help many.
  6. ACL injury is a common cause of excruciating knee pain. It happens when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is torn or stretched during sports or a fall and often requires surgery to heal. In some cases, the ACL can repair itself over a long period of time without surgery.

Well that concludes our look at some common causes of knee pain, keep an eye out for some future tips on knee injury prevention and some things you can do to help ease the pain! Thanks for visiting DocChat, remember our board certified physicians are standing by 24/7/365 to answer any of your health-related questions!

Are Your Feet Causing Knee, Back and Hip Pain?

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Fallen arches (or ‘flat feet’) usually go hand-in-hand with an overpronation, both of which can lead to much more misery than just foot pain. These too-common structural conditions often cause back, knee, hip, foot and ankle pain and inflammation over time.

Flat Foot Fast Facts

  • The Latin-derived medical term for the condition we know as flat feel is ‘pes planus’.
  • Close to one quarter of Americans have varying levels of fallen arches. That is a huge chunk of the population, most of whom are undiagnosed.
  • One way to tell if you have flat feet is to walk on damp sand at a beach or get your feet wet and stand on a hard surface like concrete. You should only be able to see the outer edge and balls of your feet in the print. If your entire footprint is present, you have flat feet.
  • There are over 100 different ligaments, muscles and tendons that comprise your foot and work together to support your arch.
  • Fallen arches happen when ligaments (which are supposed to be taught) stretch beyond their limits. When these ligaments become more elastic than they are supposed to be, they don’t do a good job of holding the foot bones up where they should be, so when you bear weight your arch collapses.
  • The reason so many of us have flat feet? The human foot developed to accommodate softer earth, but in this modern world, we’re accustomed to a lifetime of walking and standing for hours on concrete, hardwood, and pavement.
  • Many times arches fall during childhood or adolescence, but the pain and ill effects are not felt until later in life when there has already been significant damage done.
  • Fallen arches can cause pain in many of your body’s joints, including the feet themselves, ankles, knees, hips and back. The pain can be quite bad, especially during or after high impact exercise or lots of walking in unsupportive footwear.
  • What kinds of things cause fallen arches? Mainly too much stress on the feet over time, like standing for long periods in unsupportive footwear. Sometimes having excess weight can lead to fallen arches because the feet take on too much strain. An untreated injury to the ankles or feet can cause flat feet as well. There are other causes, but those are the main ones.
  • Whether you have flat feet or are concerned about developing them, it is essential to wear good, supportive footwear like sneakers with a good built in arch, or Birkenstock sandals which have excellent ergonomic arch support. If you have specialized arch supports, you should wear them whenever you are on your feet.
  • How those two feet cause so much while-body duress? Think of it this way: Your feet are meant to have arches to align the structure of your whole body while standing, but people with no arches or overpronation have an altered bodily structure. Essentially, your whole skeleton is shifted or slumped inward, which misaligns your feet, ankles, knees, hips and back. OUCH!
  • Unfortunately, there is no way to cure or fix fallen arches. The only way to do so is through constant correction. You have to retrain the arch and constantly support it with the proper custom orthotics (not just shoe inserts you pick up at the drug store).
  • If you have fallen arches, you should see a trained podiatrist or orthopedic specialist who will take a print of both your feet in standing position and make orthotic inserts designed specifically to recreate what should be your foot’s natural arch.
  • Ideally, your orthopedic specialist will tell you to work your way up hour by hour until you are wearing your orthotics all day, every day.

That’s all we have for your today on fallen arches, be sure to take care of your feet by always wearing supportive footwear, not putting too much strain on them and by trying to avoid going barefoot on hard surfaces like concrete (use caution when practicing certain martial arts, for example, that may take place on concrete in bare feet). If you think you may have undiagnosed flat feet, save yourself more years of pain and discomfort by making your way to a foot specialist soon to help get the problem corrected.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! We hope you’ll return soon!

Is Another Health Condition Causing Your Headaches?

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 While primary headaches don’t have an underlying medical cause, secondary headaches are direct products of other health conditions such as allergies, sinuses, a chronic inflammatory condition or something more pressing.

Are Secondary Headaches Serious?

While primary headaches like migraines can be debilitating, they are not life-threatening. Secondary headaches, however, can be signs of potentially life-threatening health problems in rare cases (such as stroke or cancer). Before you press panic, note that only 10% of the headaches doctors encounter are secondary headaches, and of those, most are due to non-urgent conditions like sinuses or neck problems. Drugs and medications can also be the underlying causes of chronic secondary headaches.

Conditions That Can Cause Secondary Headaches

There are hundreds of medical conditions that may produce headaches, some of which include:

  • Stroke – a sudden unusual headache accompanied by blurred vision, trouble speaking, mobility problems, face drooping or confusion should never be ignored. A strange, sudden headache along with these symptoms may signal a stroke. Seek emergency medical attention in this instance.
  • Head or neck injury – it isn’t unusual for a person who has sustained a concussion or trauma to the upper body to experience a persistent headache. If you have not been treated for your trauma and are getting a nagging headache, seek medical attention.
  • Sinus problems – one of the least threatening and perhaps most common cause of secondary headaches on our list is sinusitis or rhinitis. These headaches tend to be over one eye, quite severe (sometimes migraine-like), and worsen with pressure. People with chronic sinusitis will likely struggle with chronic headaches unless they find medication that helps better control their sinus condition.
  • Medication (or substance withdrawal) – certain medications such as blood pressure medications, pain medications like NSAIDs or opioids or birth control can cause chronic headaches. As can non-medical substances like alcohol, recreational drugs or caffeine. Similarly, withdrawing from any of these substances can also cause headaches temporarily.
  • Structural problem – a structural or muscular problem with the head, neck or upper back can cause headaches as well. Talk to your doctor about physiotherapy or treatment that can help resolve any existing muscular issue, or to ask if surgery can help a structural problem.
  • Psychiatric disorder – many types of mental health conditions can cause chronic headaches such as anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia or insomnia, to name a few. Speak to your doctor or psychologist about any medications or therapy that may help these headaches.
  • Infection – a systemic infection can cause headaches as well. If you experience a new type of headache that is persistent and accompanied by symptoms such as fever, inflammation, nausea or chills it is important to seek medical attention to check for an underlying infection.
  • Cranial mass – a benign or malignant tumor or cyst can cause headaches by increasing intracranial pressure. If your headaches are worsening over time and feel like immense pressure in the skull, seek medical treatment to rule out an intracranial mass as it could be serious.
  • Chronic pain disorder – those with systemic chronic pain disorders such as autoimmune conditions, fibromyalgia or arthritis may be more likely to experience chronic headaches either from the stress of dealing with daily pain or because of higher levels of inflammation. Talk to your doctor (or one of ours) about pain management strategies.

When To See The Doc

If you are getting chronic headaches of any kind, you should talk to a doctor about what may be causing it if it is a secondary headache, as well as treatment that may work for you. It is important to remember that the vast majority of all headaches are non-critical, so try not to stress about your headache until you talk to a doctor about your concerns. He or she will be able to rule out any acute problems and prescribe the necessary treatment. However, if you experience severe, sudden headaches or ones with troubling accompanying symptoms, seek medical treatment right away. Remember, our highly qualified, board certified DocChat physicians are here 24/7 to assist you with any medical concerns, so feel free to sign up today. Thanks for visiting!

 

Are Your Flip-Flops Causing Damage?

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Convenience paired with colorful fun designs – who wouldn’t love flip-flops? They may be a beloved summer accessory, but unfortunately flip flops may be hurting frequent wearers in multiple ways. Wearing flip-flops occasionally shouldn’t cause too many issues, but many people wear them day-in and day-out during the summer months, which can lead to all kinds of trouble.

  1. Plantar fasciitis

Because flip-flops alter your natural gait and offer little in the way of shock absorption or heel support, your foot must stretch farther with each stride. This can lead to sprain and strain of the ligaments that run along the bottom of the foot causing plantar fasciitis (an extremely painful and temporarily disabling condition). It occurs when the plantar fascia, a long band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, becomes inflamed due to excessive stretching or strain, which can lead to the inability to bear weight on the affected foot until the condition gets better.

  1. Bacterial infection

Because the entire foot is exposed, flip-flop wearers have increased chances of contracting a bacterial infection of the foot. Not only because minor wounds can become infected, but studies show flip-flop wearers come in contact with harmful bacteria much more often than those with more protective footwear. One New York study found over 18,000 bacteria on a subject’s flip-flops after a 4-day walking trip around the city. Among those bacteria was the potentially fatal Staphylococcus aureus! If that gets into a small cut or wound, the results could be deadly.

  1. Ankle, knee and hip pain

If you have fallen arches or a tendency toward flatter feet, wearing flat shoes that offer no support such as standard flip-flops can adversely affect your ankles, knees and hips. Aside from those with weak arches, anyone can sustain a rolled ankle or knee much easier in flip-flops than protective footwear such as sneakers.

  1. Tendonitis

Among other types of tendonitis that can occur with prolonged wearing of flip-slops, peroneal tendonitis (the tendons that run along the outside and inside of the ankle) is a common kind associated with excessive flip-flop use. It happens when these tendons that stabilize the ankle become inflamed from the altered gait and scrunching of the toes caused by flip-flops thongs. This can cause excessive pain and swelling, sometimes requiring physiotherapy to heal.

  1. Back pain

The Spine Health Institute says of flip-flops and back pain, “Your foot contacts the ground differently in flip-flops, too, with more pressure put on the outside edges and less on the heel. This causes a slight rotation of the lower portion of your leg, which in turn changes the angle of your pelvis and prompts increased torsion of the lower spine.”

The Fix?

If you still don’t want to give up flip-flops cold turkey, there are other options such as shelling out more dough for quality ergonomic flip-flops or Birkenstocks instead.

 

Well, there you have it! Long-term Flip-flop use can wreak havoc in all sorts of ways! If you have any questions or concerns, our highly qualified, board certified DocChat physicians are always here to help!

Children Can Develop Arthritis Too

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According to the Arthritis Foundation, “Juvenile arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions or pediatric rheumatic diseases that can develop in children under the age of 16.” While people often don’t think children are susceptible to arthritis, the actuality is that over 300,000 American children develop an arthritic condition annually.

An All-Encompassing Affliction

Juvenile arthritis (JA) can present in many ways, sometimes affecting the entire body including eyes, skin, joints, muscles, and stomach.

Common Types of Juvenile Arthritis

Some of the most common types of JA fall under the category (JIA) juvenile idiopathic arthritis which encompasses psoriatic arthritis, oligoarthritis, polyarthritis, undifferentiated systemic and enthesitis-related arthritis. Other common forms are juvenile lupus, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and juvenile dermatomyositis. Another, rarer form of JA is Kawasaki disease which affects the arteries and blood vessels. Unlike some of the idiopathic varieties, children with Kawasaki disease can recover with appropriate treatment and not have future issues or complications. There are others as well, but these are the most prevalent forms.

Signs and Symptoms to Watch Out For

Believing their child to just be going through ‘growing pains’, many parents may miss the signs of JA. Juvenile arthritis may not present exactly like adult-onset arthritis. Some children don’t have straightforward joint pain and inflammation, and each of the different JA conditions may cause different symptoms. But some of the common signs and indicators that your child may be silently suffering from arthritis could include:

  • Unexplained and recurring fevers
  • Limping or favoring or certain limbs
  • If the child is very young they may whine and cry when moving or walking
  • Redness and swelling of one or more joints
  • Recurring eye problems such as conjunctivitis
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Limited range of motion in legs or shoulders
  • Rashes
  • Weight loss
  • Pain that goes beyond simple ‘growing pains’, perhaps in different areas such as the back, ribcage, or multiple smaller joints

Many of these symptoms can be attributed to other conditions when standing alone, but if you notice many of these occurring together it is worth checking into JA. Also, there are many other symptoms that may be arthritis type specific, so read more about each different condition under the JA umbrella here.

Treatment and Prognosis

While there is no cure for JA, early detection can allow for the correct treatments which can alleviate many of the symptoms and help with quality of life and prognosis. Many arthritis medications are too strong or would be dangerous for children, but there are treatments available to help control the child’s inflammation and pain such as certain NSAIDs. Sometimes certain disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) may be used to help slow the progression of arthritis. Sometimes corticosteroids are used, but these have pretty severe side effects and are most often the last option used especially for children. Medications are often used in conjunction with lifestyle changes, routine check-ups and management plans that may include certain exercises.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! If you have any concerns about your child or questions about juvenile arthritis, feel free to sign up today for a video consultation with one of our highly qualified DocChat physicians.

Restless Legs (Part 3) Natural and Medical Treatment

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We have been looking at the symptoms, triggers and lifestyle tips for the frustrating and mysterious sleep-disturbance condition restless leg syndrome (RLS) in our last coupe posts. For our last RLS feature, we will examine the natural and medical management options available to sufferers as the condition can adversely impact both sleep and quality of life if left unattended. While there is no cure for RLS as of now, there are many different symptoms management treatments to try. Different people experience success with different treatments or combinations thereof. Some of which include:


Alternative Remedies for RLS

There are multiple homeopathic and alternative treatment options available to try. Some of these are not scientifically backed or proven, but anecdotal evidence suggests effectiveness for many people so trying them out can’t hurt, hey?

  • This first one may sound strange – but thousands upon thousands of RLS sufferers have reported success with placing an unwrapped bar of soap in a sock and sleeping with it under the pillow or close to the legs. While there is no science available to back this remedy up, anecdotal evidence is strong (some health professionals suspect it has something to do with the magnesium content and ions).
  • Ask your doctor if vitamin D, C or E would be right for you to try, all of these have been associated with reducing RLS symptoms, but supplements can be dangerous for some people so check to see if they interact with your medications or conditions first. As your doctor (or one of ours!) about magnesium and calcium supplements as well.
  • Cold or hot compresses during peak symptom intensity may help ease symptoms.
  • Physiotherapy can help some people with their symptoms.
  • Homeopathic doctors often recommend 12c dilution of causticum for RLS. Be sure to always check with your doctor before trying any homeopathic treatment.
  • Massage can be an extremely effective treatment for RLS – especially before bedtime.
  • Relaxation tactics such as meditation can help chill out your system before bed.
  • Try topical OTC or herbal muscle creams or sprays to help relax the muscles.
  • Try drinking sleepy tea (with chamomile) before bed to help relax you.
  • Some sufferers report success with TENS machines (talk to your doctor first).

Medical Treatment Options

People with very extreme cases of RLS often find relief with certain prescribed medications that are usually used to help conditions with some similar symptoms as RLS such as Parkinson’s disease. Such medications include dopamine agents, benzodiazepines, anti-convulsing agents, or alpha2 agonists. Daily medications are usually reserved for RLS patients who do not respond to lifestyle or alternative treatment and who’s condition significantly impacts their sleep and overall quality of life.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! If you have any questions about RLS treatment, don’t hesitate to sign up today for a video consultation with one of our highly qualified DocChat physicians!

 

Chronic Pain Management Tactics (Part 1)

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Over 100 million Americans suffer some form of chronic pain. This figure is heartbreaking and truly illustrates how important it is to create an open dialogue about chronic pain control. Without healthy management tactics, people may rely too heavily on medications or self medicate unhealthily with such substances as alcohol, drugs or cigarettes which can lead to other chronic health complications over time such as organ failure or cardiovascular disease.

Find Your Management Plan

There are various types of chronic pain from different forms of arthritis, to autoimmune pain, fibromyalgia to post-trauma pain, so treatments will work differently for each individual. With a little experimentation you can find the best pain management plan for you which, in tandem with your doctor’s recommendations, can allow you a better quality of life. Some non-pharmacological pain management techniques include:

  1. The Power of Touch

Touch may not completely banish the pain, but can divert focus from your discomfort to a more pleasurable sensation. Sensual and calmative touch releases the mood-boosting chemical oxytocin in the brain which works as a temporary natural analgesic. Many turn to sex for this euphoric fix, but a back rub will work just as well, a good cuddle or even getting a friend to play with your hair or scratch your back will give you enough warm fuzzies to at least tamp down pain sensations.

  1. Therapeutic Massage

Speaking of touch, millions of chronic pain sufferers find degrees of relief from professional therapeutic massage. Massage can help quell pain for various reasons. It increases circulation to damaged muscles and stiff joints by getting the blood flowing while simultaneously triggering the rapid release of opioids and the “love hormone’ oxytocin in the brain. Both opioids and oxytocin act as temporary natural painkillers. Massages also work to distract the brain from other ongoing aches and pains by redirecting it to the pleasurable or even harsh sensations an expert masseuse can deliver.

  1. Manage Your Stress to Manage Your Pain

When your body enters ‘fight or flight’ mode, it triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in the bloodstream. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can worsen all kinds of pre-existing inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune conditions, arthritis or heart problems. Therefor, it stands to reason that alleviating your stress can also help assuage some of the pain and inflammation as well. Check out our post on stress busters for some stress management ideas.

  1. Mentally Guided Techniques

There are many psychological relaxation techniques that have shown positive results in both pain and stress reduction in some chronic pain sufferers. Some of these include guided meditation, progressive relaxation, or using biofeedback to monitor your body’s biological signals such as heart rate or blood pressure in an attempt to bring them down and calm your whole system.

A Closer Look At Progressive Relaxation

Progressive relaxation is arguably one of the best psychological relaxation techniques for pain management. It is the methodical tensing and releasing of each muscle group in your body when can help let go of tension in certain areas and relax all your muscles and joints (as well as your mind). Many chronic pain sufferers find this especially beneficial to help induce sleep as it can be tricky to catch some zzz’s when your joints are screaming. Overtime as you get better at progressive relaxation and gain more control over the various muscles in your body, you may feel more in control of your pain. Of course these tactics may not work for everyone but anything is worth a try, hey?

That concludes our part 1 of our pain management tips. Stay tuned for part 2 coming next to read more about how exercise, acupuncture, personal TENS machines and trigger point injections can help pain management! Thanks for visiting DocChat, if you have any questions or concerns about chronic pain management, sign up today for a video consultation with one of our highly trained physicians!

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Quick Facts

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  • Carpal tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a disorder where the carpal tunnel narrows, compressing or squeezing the median nerve near the wrist, resulting in pain, tingling and other unpleasant symptoms in parts of the hand and wrist.
  • CTS is one of the most common nerve conditions, afflicting as many as 10 million Americans.
  • Women are three times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome than men.
  • other conditions like arthritis, tendinitis or Raynaud’s syndrome can mimic carpal tunnel symptoms (it is important to rule them out before a diagnosis to prevent mistreatment).
  • Symptoms of carpal tunnel range from from mild, occasional weakness and tingling to debilitating numbness and loss of proper hand function.
  • People with CTS often have the sensation of swelling in the effected area when there is usually no swelling present.
  • CTS can be effectively treated – but treatment varies from person to person including NSAIDS, splinting, physiotherapy, local steroid injections or surgery.
  • Yoga has also proven beneficial to help relieve carpal tunnel symptoms for some sufferers.
  • Carpal tunnel surgery to relieve pressure on the median nerve is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the United States.
  • CTS predominantly effects the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers, leaving out the pinky. Sensations can spread up the arm in some cases.
  • Many sufferers find symptoms worse at night because they sleep with bent wrists. Many people’s symptoms also worsen when performing repetitive actions.
  • Assembly line workers (and others with repetitive jobs) are three times more likely to develop CTS than other types of workers.
  • If CTS goes untreated for too long it can progress, causing permanent nerve and muscle damage.
  • The actual “carpal tunnel’ is composed of eight tiny bones which form a tunnel.
  • Causes are largely a mystery, but many professionals believe people may have a physical predisposition for smaller carpal tunnel cavities which become problematic. Trauma, menopause and pregnancy may increase risk as well.
  • Research also suggests certain conditions make people more likely to develop CTS such as hypothyroidism or rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have any questions about carpal tunnel symptoms, diagnosis or treatment feel free to sign up to DocChat today for a video consultation with one of our highly knowledgeable board certified physicians. Thanks for visiting!