How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Repetitive Strain Injury

Carpal tunnel syndrome is manifested by the following symptoms... pain, tingling sensation, numbness, swelling, and weakness in the hands and wrists. Office workers, grocery check-out staff, and trade workers performing repetitive motions are at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. You'll notice stickers on new laptops and computer keyboards warning of injury, so the risk is real from even low impact motions. Reduce your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome or a repetitive strain injury by following the steps below.

Instructions

1. 

   When using a computer keyboard, make sure it is at a height and position that reduce strain on your hands and wrists. As you type, keep your elbows near your sides and supported by your chair's armrests. Keep your wrists in a 'neutral' position and relax the shoulders as you type.

2. Get up from the computer or workstation and take a break once per hour. Gently stretch tired hands, fingers and wrists. Take breaks before you feel numbness, tingling or pain.

3. Try to reduce repetitive movements of the hands and wrists. Vary the way you perform the same task and try to spread the performance of a task over the length of a day. Switch hands when performing repetitive tasks.

4. If you do have mild carpal tunnel symptoms, try icing the area for 15 minutes at a time and take NSAIDs to relieve pain and swelling. (NSAIDs include ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen.)

5. If you suspect you have a repetitive strain injury, wear a carpal tunnel wrist brace to support your wrist in a 'neutral' position and reduce pressure on the median nerve. Wear the wrist brace at night while you sleep to prevent sleeping on your wrist and curling it over.

Resources

• HP Ergonomics Page
• OSHA Computer Workstation Checklist