All kinds of people suffer from Carpal Tunnel: artists, athletes, people who knit and crochet, typists, and more. It’s a type of repetitive motion injury, so any repetitive motion featuring the hands or wrists can cause Carpal Tunnel: Carpal Tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist, which causes pain, tingling, and numbness in the affected hand.
How do you deal with it? According to the Mayo Clinic, you should support your wrists, stretch them, and take frequent breaks. If the muscles in your wrists don’t swell, they won’t compress that nerve; taking breaks and giving the muscles time to recover prevents the swelling, no matter what the activity is. Supporting the wrists so they aren’t doing more work than necessary also prevents swelling.
Sitting correctly comes into this too: if you’re slouching, you’re probably holding your arms against the desk to type in a way that’s putting pressure on your wrists. You might be slouching down into your chair to knit, or putting together a model kit fully crouched on a chair to get the best angle. If you’re at the wrong desk or chair height, and if you’re having to stretch in an unnatural way to reach the keyboard, mouse, or other tools of the trade, you’ll be adding unnecessary stress as well.
Prevention is the key. Once Carpal Tunnel happens, it is difficult (and painful!) to deal with. It’s much better to prevent it before it occurs than to have to fight it once it’s there. However, even once numbness and tingling appear, it’s still possible to treat – with proper care, Mayo Clinic states the symptoms normally subside. However, common treatments include things like wrist braces, which are cumbersome, and restrict movement on purpose! Save yourself the effort of reorganizing your hobbies, and take breaks to preserve your wrists.
Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355603
