It's All in the Wrist

Continued...

Warning signs of a serious wrist problem include pain in the "snuff box" (the space between two tendons that appears at the base of the wrist when you extend the thumb), a click or clunking sound in the wrist, pain from lateral (sideways) wrist motion or pain that persists more than four weeks after an injury. If you have any of these problems, seek medical care from an orthopedic surgeon or a wrist and hand specialist.

Most wrist injuries respond well to conservative treatment, and you should be able to return rapidly to your normal activity. The old standby R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is just as appropriate for wrist injuries as it is for other types of trauma.

Despite the functional importance of the wrist, many treatments for serious wrist injury have not yielded optimal results. This means that if you suffer from a serious wrist injury or overuse, you may have a long, difficult struggle to return to your preinjury performance level. As with so many other injuries, the best strategy is to prevent them in the first place and seek care early.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The carpal tunnel is a narrow space on the palm side of the wrist through which 10 structures run: the nine tendons that flex the fingers, and the median nerve that supplies sensation and motor control to the thumb and first two fingers. The base of the tunnel is formed by the wrist bones, and the roof is formed by the bands of the transverse carpal ligament.

There is little room in the tunnel, and any condition that causes swelling will pinch the median nerve as it passes through it. When the nerve is pinched, it stops transmitting nerve impulses and may even lose its blood supply and die.

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome result from compression of the nerve and impairment of its sensory and motor control functions. The first warning sign is a burning, tingling or "falling asleep" sensation in the hand or thumb and first two fingers.

Symptoms may awaken you from sleep or become worse with prolonged gripping of a steering wheel or book.

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Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
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Common Medical Problems
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