Actually paresthesias (tingling and prickling), pain and numbness in the palm side of the the thumb, the index finger and the ring finger and palm. The pain might radiate up into the arm. The neutral position splints worn at night work well to combat the repetitive motion/stress injury if you let it go that far. Carpenters get it too (whether they're geeks or not). Try taking NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen, VIOXX, CELEBREX, ALEVE etc. Ice works too. Surgery is the future if you let it go too far and from friends I've talked to doesn't always fix the problem. They cut open the tendon sheaths to release the tendon, don't go there. Sometimes injections of cortisone into the painful site.

I've had this before. It was minor, it went away with wrist braces. But, it hurts like hell! The best medicine is prevention. To prevent CTS:

  1. use a trackball or Glidepoint or Eraserhead or tablet instead of a mouse
  2. Get a Microsoft Natural Keyboard
  3. Don't type for long periods of time
  4. If you have a normal keyboard, try putting it in your lap rather than on the desk in front of you.

It has been observed that in people with carpal tunnel syndrome, there can be a deficiency of Vitamin B. Some naturopaths have noted a decrease in symptoms after a few months of treatment with large doses (100-200 mg per day) of Vitamin B6, also known as Pyridoxine.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a member of a large set of diseases, collectively called repetitive strain injuries (RSI).

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by too much pressure on the nerve that runs through the wrist. The carpal tunnel is the centre of the wrist. The bones and ligments in the wrist form a tunnel for the tendons and the median nerve to pass through. The median nerve conducts sensation for the thumb and fingers (except the little finger) and muscle impulses for the smaller muscles in the hand, particularly the palm.

There are many causes of carpal tunnel syndrome:

Symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling on the palm side of the thumb, fore finger, middle finger and ring finger. Loss of grip can also occur as the condition worsens. Permanent damage can occur if it is untreated but it is treatable with early diagnosis.

Treatment involves a splint, medication and, in some cases, surgery. Resting the wrist is the first step. Setting up workstations correctly can reduce stress on the wrist. Possible medicinal treatments are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen and, if these fail, a corticosteroid can be injected into the carpal tunnel. These treatments can be temporary or permanent.

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