How does all this happen??? NERVES!!!!
Nerves are long tissues which go everywhere inside our body, kind of like a spider web. This picture below shows what our nerves look like throughout our bodies:
Up close and personal, I always think that nerves look like pieces of spaghetti!
Nerves connect to areas throughout our bodies.
When we touch a hot stove, our fingertips send an instant message to the nerves in our arms which then goes to the brain telling our reflexes to move our hand.
Nerves are also involved in helping bring messages from the brain to our fingertips. For example, if you have to write a paper your brain sends messages through nerves to your fingertips telling you what to type. If you are a fast typer, this happens seemingly instantly!
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME is when the median nerve in the wrist becomes squished. (See picture below). Around this nerve are ligaments and bones which all help us in moving our wrist and fingertips. When we do the same motion with our wrist over and over again, it can damage this area, causing swelling, and causing the median nerve to be squished.
How to heal Carpal Tunnel?
- Wearing a wrist brace at night can help to keep the wrist still and prevent any unnecessary movement of the wrist while we sleep. If you are very active during the day with typing, driving, or other repetitive wrist actions, then you should continue to wear the brace during the day as well.
- If a wrist is unable to heal, then often times people will have surgery. A squished nerve can not only be painful but lead to a permanent loss of feeling in one's fingertips or hand.
