Numbness or tingling in your hands? Difficulty grabbing items with your hands?

That numbness/tingling sensation or muscle weakness could be due to peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is the effect of irritation of a nerve that occurs in the peripheral nervous system. The most common upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is carpal tunnel syndrome, affecting 4-6% of the population. That’s because the carpal tunnel is a compact space that consists of a border of the carpal bones as the “floor” and a transverse carpal ligament as the “roof.” Between the small area of the floor and roof are 9 tendons and the median nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the median nerve, which is responsible for your thumb's motor function and the sensation to the thumb -> ring finger.

✅ The setup of your desk matters! We want an ergonomic posture with your elbows near your body with about a 90 degree bend. This posture helps to take pressure off your palm where the carpal tunnel and median nerve lie.

✅ Come and see a professional for joint mobilizations of the carpal bones and wrist; this will help increase the carpal tunnel's space to allow the median nerve to move more freely and avoid compression.

✅ Research has found that nerve glides effectively treat carpal tunnel syndrome by reducing pain and improving hand function. Nerve glides work by allowing the proximal to distal portion of the nerve to slide under structures such as muscles, tendons, ligaments so the nerve can fire appropriately. You can attempt a median nerve glide at home by pretending you are a server holding a tray with your upper arm parallel to the floor. Keep your wrist extended the whole time, and straighten your elbow! You may feel a slight pulling in the arm, which is totally normal! Repeat 10x.