Office workers conduct repetitive tasks every day, such as typing and moving a mouse. Even other jobs have motions that repeat themselves, like driving, sanding, assembly line work or knitting. Each of these activities could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that happens when the nerve that goes from your forearm into your hand, called the median nerve, becomes compressed at the wrist by a tendinous band. This can result in severe pain, numbness and weakness, especially in the fingers and wrist.
People who perform repetitive tasks, like those working in the office, are more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Usually, you’ll know if you have it if you’re complaining of hand weakness and numbness, even when asleep.
It’s essential to take care of every aspect of your health, even while you’re at work. Here are eight tips for office workers to avoid carpal tunnel.
1. Make Your Workspace Ergonomic
One of the best ways to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome or mitigate the symptoms is to make your workspace more ergonomic. An ergonomic workspace fits and supports your body. You should be in a more neutral position, meaning your neck isn’t bent down, your arms aren’t away from your body, and your wrists and hands aren’t turned up or sideways.
Invest in a desk and chair that is at a proper height for your keyboard. You can also get an ergonomic keyboard and a mouse that fits your hand.
2. Take Frequent Breaks
Doing repetitive tasks can take a toll on your wrists and hands. If your wrists start to cramp up or you feel a tingling sensation in your hands, take a break. Letting your wrists rest for a few minutes can do wonders for your symptoms and overall health.
Ideally, you should take a break for 10-15 minutes every hour. You can choose to complete other tasks during those times that don’t use the same wrist motions as you were doing before.
3. Use Correct Posture
When trying to prevent carpal tunnel, it can be easy to focus on your wrists and hands. However, how you hold the rest of your body, including arms, back, neck and legs, can impact them, too. Poor posture leads to your shoulders rolling forward, which throws your body out of alignment.
Switch positions while sitting at your desk and take brief walks around the office. Make sure your back is fully supported and relax your shoulders. Avoid crossing your legs, and keep your elbows close to your body. This will help adjust your posture, leading to more relaxed hands and wrists.
4. Learn Wrist Exercises
Hand and wrist exercises can reduce your chances of getting carpal tunnel. Any sort of strengthening or stretching exercises are best. Throughout your workday, stretch and perform a few basic activities to lower your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Here are a few examples:
- Shake it out: Shake your hands to get relief from any pain or numbness.
- Fist to fan: Make a fist and fan out your fingers, stretching them as far as you can. Repeat this up to 10 times.
- Thumb touches: Touch the tip of each finger to the tip of your thumb and repeat.
- Hand squeezes: Get a rubber ball or even a pair of balled-up socks. Squeeze it, hold for five seconds, slowly release and then repeat.
- Yoga: Yoga can help your whole body posture, leading to better hand and wrist positioning.
Learning these few simple exercises and doing them every day can help you avoid carpal tunnel.
5. Wear Fingerless Gloves
Offices can get cold during the day, and it can be challenging finding ways to warm up when you’re not in control of the thermostat. Cold temperatures can make your fingers stiff, which makes the pain even worse.
Invest in fingerless gloves, which will keep your wrists and hands warm and loose as you work. You could even get a small space heater for your office if your supervisor allows it.
6. Consider Wearing Splints
If you already have carpal tunnel symptoms or the syndrome, you should consider getting wrist splints. They can help you train your wrists to stay straight and offer temporary relief to any pain or numbness you experience.
Splints are not meant to be worn over a long period. You could wear them throughout the day as long as they don’t affect your productivity, or you could wear splints at night to have free wrists and hands throughout the workday.
7. Loosen Your Grip
Your office tasks are so routine that you probably don’t think about them. You get used to doing things a certain way, and it can be challenging to change a habit. Sometimes, you might use more force than needed to complete a particular job.
If you find you’re pounding your keyboard a bit too hard or you have a firm grip on your mouse or telephone, try loosening up and softening your touch. These activities can put a lot of pressure on your hands and wrists, so focus on backing off a bit.
8. Visit an Occupational Therapist
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can creep up if you’re not careful to take the proper steps to avoid it. In these cases, you should visit an occupational therapist, especially if your issues become debilitating or are affecting your work and daily life.
An occupational therapist can help show you a wide range of exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles in your hands and wrists. Additionally, they can show you how to change your repetitive movements to ease the stress on your joints. If symptoms worsen, injections or surgery may be the next move.
Follow These Tips at Home
Follow these tips both at home and in your office to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. Exercise, stay healthy, take breaks and seek intervention if you have worsening symptoms. Figure out what’s causing the problem and continue to put your physical well-being first.
