Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is something that has become more and more frequent in the age of technology and is the leading cause in the U.S. for lost workdays.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS is caused by pressure on the median nerve that is located in your wrist.  Anyone who works with a computer on a daily basis has heard of this and maybe has experienced a form of this in some way or another.  The symptoms include any pain, tingling, or numbness found from the fingertips to the forearm.  

Women are also more likely to suffer from CTS and that it may be as high as 70% of cases.  The percentages of occurrences go up even higher when a woman is pregnant or going through menopause.  People that suffer from CTS spend an average of 30 days off work.  The reason for this is that most people that have some form of CTS always opt for surgery to help correct the issue.

The first and foremost way to prevent CTS is to live an active lifestyle.  Being overweight can place a higher strain on all your joints and muscles and in turn lead to a greater risk of developing CTS.  Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet can help with the prevention of CTS.  Smoking can also increase the risk of CTS so here is just another reason not to smoke.

Another way to decrease the risk of getting CTS is through regular breaks if you have a routine of repetitiveness.  For example, if you are working at a computer for more than an hour at a time it would be recommended that you take a five minute break every hour or so.   Try stretching before and after your break and especially before and after you begin work.   You will find that it will help improve the longevity of any activity you preform that can lead to CTS.

The most important prevention tip in general for any office related aliment is proper office ergonomics.  This can help prevent a wide ray of work related injuries including CTS.    If you have an office job, are you comfortable sitting at your desk for long periods of time?  Are your wrists and forearms properly supported when you use a computer?  These are important things to take into consideration when trying to prevent CTS.  Try adjusting your chair height or the way you sit and you will immediately feel the difference.  Most office chairs have a few ways to adjust the overall posture.

Hopefully, with these simple tips you can help to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and continue to be productive in your career for many years to come.  If you or anyone you know is experiencing any CTS symptoms please contact one of our many offices to set up an appointment.  Our highly qualified staff of nurses and surgeons would be more than happy to help you get back to the active work lifestyle you once experienced.

If you're looking for professional and experienced high-rated orthopedic surgeon in Florida, contact Sea Spine Orthopedic Institute today at 866-816-ORTHO.


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Pain Killer Addiction

Unless you are Bruce Willis’ character from Unbreakable it’s impossible to go through life without getting injured, hurt, or eventually one day needing an orthopedic surgeon.  Whether it is from playing sports, working out, or falling out of your chair, many people have to deal with recurring pain.  How we deal with that pain is up to the individual and the advice you get from a specialist.  Depending on where you are hurt there are a lot of alternatives to deal with pain like surgery or physical therapy, but the majority of us rely on pain killers.  The problem with that is that they are highly addictive, and once on them it can be very hard for some people to stop taking them. 

      

The first recorded use of a pain killer was over six thousand years ago in ancient Sumeria.  However, over the last fifty years modern medicine has introduced a wide spectrum of drugs that are mass produced for people around the world. The CDC reported that in 2010 one in twenty people in the United States, ages 12 and older, used prescription painkillers non-medically (without a prescription or just for the "high" they cause). This huge use in pain killers has attributed to a huge increase in accidental overdoses every year.  Most of these addictions come from past use that continues well after the reason the took the meds in the first place is gone.  This has become an epidemic, and people that have these addictions aren't as easy to spot as other drug addictions.

First of all, you can buy these drugs anywhere as long as you have a prescription.  There are many cases of people that go to numerous doctors at the same time to obtain a bunch of prescriptions.  Then they have the so-called pill mills that just sell pills to anyone off the street complaining of pain.  Luckily, law enforcement has been cracking down on these places in recent years, but the problem still persists.  An addiction is an addiction and where there is a need people can find a supply.

    

Secondly, there is no odor or paraphernalia negatively associated with taking prescription pills. They come in an orange prescription bottle so someone is less likely to be alarmed if they see you taking one in public.  Behaviorally speaking you could tell someone is on them all the time if you personally know the person for a long time and know their personality.  However, approaching someone that you suspect is addicted to them is a difficult task.  Denial, denial, denial is all that you will get.  Just like any other addiction the self-awareness of its destructive nature is not always so apparent.       

As I have stated in previous blogs, I myself have dealt with a serious injury and I was prescribed painkillers to help cope with the constant pain.  For me it was an uncomfortable feeling to lapse into a dull haze, but I can see how that can become addictive for someone.  The biggest problem I experienced was when I tried to stop taking them.  Luckily, I was told by a good friend of mine that you just cannot stop taking them cold turkey once you start feeling better.  Little did I know the amount of withdrawals you would have if you did so.  Even when I began to reduce the amount I would take over time I would still experience hot flashes and nausea.   And this was only after taking them for a few months.  I can’t imagine the amount of withdrawals someone would go through if they were taking them for years.

Then you have the weird side effects that come along with pain killers.  Not having the ability to go to the bathroom was a surprise.  For those of you who read this and have never taken them before, even when you have the urge to go to the bathroom this kind of medication prevents you from going.  It's a scary feeling when you haven't gone to the bathroom in a few days.  For me it ended up being a few weeks and I was scared for my life.  Soon enough I started to go once I slowed down the rate of how much I took, but I will never forget those two weeks and the fright I had of not being able to do something newborn babies could do. 

In conclusion, if you suspect a friend, family member, or co-worker is abusing pain killers the best thing to do is to contact other people in their lives who they trust and would be open to listening too.  A one man front so to speak is difficult, but a united front brought before the person in question is a much better approach and will have more positive results.

 

If you're looking for professional and experienced high-rated orthopedic surgeon in Florida, contact Sea Spine Orthopedic Institute today at 866-816-ORTHO.


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Swallowing Your Pride when Dealing with an Injury

I’ve been there. I’ve been the prideful guy who refuses to show the people around him that he is hurt.  However, after an accident I had last year the idea of silly pride went out the window.  This isn’t a man’s ego thing either.  The other day I saw a woman hobbling down the hallway in my office building wearing a high heel on one foot and a cast and crutch on the other.  Before my accident I would have laughed at the sight and thought she was crazy, but now I understand her reasoning.  You want to live the normalcy that is your life.  For her it was wanting to wear the cute shoes she bought with her matching outfit, even if it was just one of them.  The problem is, what if she fell because of wearing her fancy shoe and hurt herself worse than before? Well guess what, now she can wear both her shoes in your fancy new wheelchair!

 Totally worth it!

The problem with this foolish pride we all have is that you can end up hurting yourself worse in the long run. Little injuries can easily turn into bigger injuries if you are not careful.  Many orthopedic injuries that require surgery take place over a period of time.  Bad training, incorrect exercises, and excessive sports can lead to this, but improper healing can contribute to this greatly.  For instance, some people consider the daily exercise that they do therapy. Ask any runner who has been running every morning for the last couple years how they would feel if they had to stop. Taking that away from them would be devastating to them both mentally and physically.  If you are that person and have a routine that must not be broken ask yourself this.  What's worse, not doing that activity for a few months, or never doing it again for the rest of your life?   

I'll just walk it off during this 10k...

Pride based through ignorance can also get you into worse trouble with an injury.  Typically, people in these scenarios don't think that an injury is serious, or that they went through worse in the past.  What you think may be a sprained ankle might actually be a small stress fracture.  If you continue to walk on it without the assistance of a cane, crutch, or even taping it up you can fracture it further.  This is especially true if you don’t see a doctor first.  If this happens it will hurt a lot worse and end up taking even longer to heal and eventually can lead to something more serious by placing further strain on tendons and muscles that have to over compensate for the injury.  That's why it is always very important to see a physician when you hurt yourself or are experiencing pain.

You did what on a broken foot?!

To me, however, the worst part of any noticeable injury is not to your body, but to your pride.  Just the ways others treat you changes.  Most people that play competitive sports are competitive by nature.  When someone treats you like a cripple it’s a little demeaning.  Thanks, but I don’t need any help.  I can still take care of myself even though I have a sprained ankle.  Honestly, it’s this same very attitude that pushes us to do the stupid things that hurt ourselves in the first place.  Sure accidents happen, but the majority of incidents happen when we think we're Olympic athletes or ballroom dancers. 

Whatever the reason for your injury just make sure you consult a doctor first before you try to go back to your normal activities.  Simple things can become complex issues if not taken care of properly, and don't let pride control your actions.  In the end a little bruising of your pride is nothing compared to years of physical therapy and the embarrassment of the realization that you aren't a superhero. 


If you're looking for professional and experienced high-rated orthopedic surgeon in Florida, contact Sea Spine Orthopedic Institute today at 866-816-ORTHO.


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