The Not-So-Comfortable Home Office
Over the last several months the opportunities to Work from Home (WFH) have kept a large majority of the population safe and healthy. Yet, WFH may not always be as comfortable as it sounds. Many workers have needed to trade in their rolling chair and dual computer monitors for the family room couch and laptop. Small changes to someone’s work environment may be on-setting large differences in the way our bodies are used to moving. These changes may also result in new feelings of soreness and pain. It is important to be mindful of the things we can do in order to combat the challenges of WFH to minimize the potential aches and pains of home office life.
Treatment Options for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel is one of the most well-known and commonly treated hand/wrist conditions. Some of the telltale signs of this condition include numbness and/or tingling throughout your thumb, index finger and middle finger, as well as weakened grip strength and decreased hand coordination. Not everyone notices pain, although pain in the palm or wrist is not uncommon.
Common Gamer Injuries & Treatment Options
Hai Lam. Paul “sOAZ” Boyer. Clinton Loomis. While these names do not have the same mass recognition as popular athletes like Lebron James, Drew Brees, or even Mitch Trubisky, they certainly are recognized as the best in their sport. Not just any sport, but “esports,” if you will. Their offensive weapons aren’t balls, bats or sticks, but rather keyboards, headsets and hand-held controllers. Instead of defeating their opponent on an athletic field, their fields of play lie in the digital battlefields of games such as Defense of the Ancients (DOTA), League of Legends and Warcraft 3. These men were once at the height of their game. Veritable legends. Unfortunately their ascent into gaming immortality was cut short by upper extremity (UE) injuries from overuse and improper ergonomics.
Carpal Tunnel in Pregnancy
Thick hair and nails, radiant skin, and…hand numbness? The later weeks of pregnancy bring some welcomed physical changes that others may notice and comment how a woman has “a pregnancy glow.” But in a portion of women, the third trimester may also bring the uncomfortable symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Separating Fact from Fiction
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Betsy Schack, OTR/L. Betsy is an occupational/hand therapist at Athletico Skokie and Athletico Park Ridge.
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and felt like your hand was just put in a pile of fire ants? You wake up and shake your hand furiously, but the burning does not go away. What you’re experiencing could be carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Read more about what causes CTS and how you can not only prevent it but fix it before it becomes worse. (more…)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome During Pregnancy
When you think about the parts of a woman’s body that are affected by pregnancy, the hands and wrists are not the first thing that come to mind, but up to 20% of women are affected by carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include numbness, tingling, burning or aching in the fingers, and pain in the wrist, hands, forearms, and sometimes upper arm to the shoulder. In severe or chronic cases, hands may feel weak or uncoordinated and muscle atrophy may be present. Symptoms usually affect both hands and can begin at any stage of pregnancy, but are most common in the later stages. (more…)
