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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Wrist Pain
Repetitive Stress

University Studies Pain, Swelling, Stiffness, Muscle Relaxation, Enhance Athletic Performance

"By nature, I’m a skeptic. When my brother-in-law suggested I try an elastic band for my carpal tunnel problems, I quietly laughed. After explaining to me that the band was impregnated with semiconductors, I laughed some more. In fact, I continued laughing while wearing a band immediately after a particularly painful episode of my condition. However, my laughter stopped when I realized something--the band, in fact, did work!
Unfortunately, the "band" was given to me after I went through several months of conventional treatment for my condition. This included the use of a fitted removable cast in addition to two to three hour-long hand therapy sessions over a period of six weeks. I am curious as to whether or not the use of the "band" would have shortened the treatment time."

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet

What are the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition - the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. Other contributing factors include trauma or injury to the wrist that cause swelling, such as sprain or fracture; overactivity of the pituitary gland; hypothyroidism; rheumatoid arthritis; mechanical problems in the wrist joint; work stress; repeated use of vibrating hand tools; fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause; or the development of a cyst or tumor in the canal. In some cases no cause can be identified.

There is little clinical data to prove whether repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist during work or leisure activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or other daily activities can result in repetitive motion disorders such as bursitis and tendonitis. Writer's cramp - a condition in which a lack of fine motor skill coordination and ache and pressure in the fingers, wrist, or forearm is brought on by repetitive activity - is not a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Goode Wraps relax muscles and tendon to relieve pain, swelling and stiffness.

Study: Workplace not always main carpal tunnel culprit

From Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland
(CNN) -- Repetitive-motion injuries are being reported at an alarming rate in all types of workplaces -- from newsrooms to meat packing plants. However, a new study finds that jobs such as typing on a keyboard are not always the cause of such ailments as carpal tunnel syndrome.

"What we know is any abnormality or any disease that will cause the lining of those tendons to become inflamed can cause carpal tunnel syndrome," hand surgeon Dr. Jim Roderique said.
Ailments such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease and gout often are culprits. Others are pregnancy, birth control pills and sudden weight gain, which causes fluid retention.

Still, findings published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine show the real cause of hand pain is often misdiagnosed.

In the study, two-thirds of patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome actually had underlying medical conditions or were obese.
Then why are workplace activities often blamed?

"If one is sitting on the edge, so-to-speak, strenuous, continuous use of the hand doing particular movements can precipitate carpal tunnel syndrome. I didn't say cause; I said precipitate," Roderique said.

Doctors say in that many states, the laws are not in sync with what is known in medicine, and the workplace is left to foot the medical bills.
Researchers say if an underlying medical condition is diagnosed and treated, carpal tunnel syndrome can get better, and even be cured, without any workplace changes.

Repetitive Stress

"My fingers were getting numb. I was losing power and could not use my nippers. I thought I was going to have to give up my profession and find a new job. After using the wrist wraps for three days I had all my power back. Its been three month now and I feel great."

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Repetitive Stress, cumulative trauma, wrist pain

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the name given to the symptoms that occur when the nerves and tendons running through the carpal tunnel of the wrist are compressed by tissue or bone or become irritated and swell.

The carpal tunnel itself is a narrow passage in the wrist comprised of bones and ligaments through which nerves and tendons pass into the hand.

Symptoms
At first, there may be numbness, tingling of the thumb, index, long and ring fingers, or burning in the hand. Shooting pain in the wrist or forearm may follow, and the grip may become weak.

Pain is usually worse at night, and can radiate up the arm and to the back of the shoulder. The result can be tingling, numbness, and eventually debilitating pain. Early symptoms include a tingling in the fingers, often beginning several hours after work activity has stopped.

Because of this delay in the appearance of symptoms, many carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers don't realize their work activities are causing the pain until it's too late. The tingling can lead, over time, to stiffness and numbness in the fingers and hand, and then to severe wrist and hand pain.

Orthopaedic Surgery

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The median nerve and flexor tendons travel from the forearm into the hand through a canal or tunnel in the wrist.

The bottom and sides of this tunnel are formed by wrist bones and the top of the tunnel is covered by a strong band of connective tissue called a ligament.

The nine tendons that connect muscles to bones and bend the fingers and thumb are covered with a lubricating membrane called synovium.

The senovium may enlarge and swell under some circumstances and may cause the median nerve to be pressed up against the ligament. This could result in numbness, tingling in the hand, clumsiness, or pain described as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Causes
Most cases of carpal tunnel syndrome have no known cause. However, anything that causes swelling, thickening, or irritation of the synovial membranes around the tendons in the carpal tunnel can result in pressure on the median nerve. Some common causes and associated conditions are:
ïrepetitive and forceful grasping with the hands ïrepetitive bending of the wrist ïbroken or dislocated bones in the wrist that produce swelling ïarthritis, especially rheumatoid ïthyroid gland imbalance ïdiabetes ïhormonal changes associated with menopause ïpregnancy

Diagnosis of this condition is determined by the following symptoms and signs:
ïnumbness and tingling in the hands, especially when these symptoms occur at night and after use of the hands. ïdecreased feeling in the thumb, index, and long finger. ïthe presence in yhe hand of an electric-like shock or tingling (like hitting your "funny bone") when your doctor taps over the course of the median nerve at the wrist. ïthe reproduction of your symptoms by holding your wrists in a bent down position for one minute.

Sometimes a nerve conduction study is done to determine the severity of the pressure on the median nerve and may aid the physician in making a diagnosis and forming a treatment plan.

Treatments
ïMild cases may be treated by applying a brace or splint, which is usually worn at night to keep the wrist from bending and allowing the swollen and inflamed synovial membranes to shrink relieving the pressure on the nerve. ïSwollen membranes may also be reduced by taking oral medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. ïMore severe cases
may call for a cortisone injection into the carpal tunnel. The medicine spreads around the swollen synovial membranes surrounding the tendons and shrinks them, relieving the pressure on the median nerve. ïFor patients who are not helped with these non-surgical measures surgery may be necessary. The surgery involves cutting the ligament that forms the roof of the carpal tunnel to relieve the pressure on the median nerve.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful disorder of the wrist and hand. The carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel formed by the bones and other tissues of your wrist. This tunnel normally protects your median nerve. The median nerve gives you feeling in your thumb, and index, middle and ring fingers. But when other tissues in the carpal tunnel, such as ligaments and tendons, get swollen or inflamed, they press against the median nerve. That pressure can make part of your hand hurt or feel numb.

Excerpts from Pain Study being prepared for publication by a large Western University

METHODOLOGY
A group of 32 injury victims were selected from two locations. One a pain clinic where the injuries ranged from sports trauma to falls, and two "old injuries acting up." The other location was an athletic training center at a large Western University during basketball, volleyball, and track seasons. The injuries involved were strains, sprains, and trauma from falls, etc. There were no broken bones or deep cuts.

The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, red or blue. All subjects were required to sign a consent form in order to join the study, however, neither the subject nor the trainer/nurse/physician knew whether red or blue was experimental or control. Each subject was askedóand agreedónot to ingest any type of analgesic or other pain medication nor obtain any other methods of treatment for their injury while participating in this study.
Results - the perceived levels of pain were calculated by subtracting the perceived level at each reporting time from the original perception:

· Thirty minutes - all control group subjects felt worse or no change. 31% of the treatment groups felt somewhat better. Significance of .024.

· Two hours - control group subjects continued to feel worse or the same. 56% of treatment group felt significant improvement. Significance is .003.

· 24 hours - 25% of control had some improvement. 63% of treatment group had significant improvement.

· Three days - 30% of control group had slight improvement. 88% of treatment group had moderate to great improvement.

· Seven days - 33% of control group subjects had again slight improvement. 91% of treatment group subjects had great to total improvement. Significance is .004.

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Anti-Inflammatory Study

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Goode Wraps

Anti-inflammatory study by a large Southwest University


The researchers studied the anti-inflammatory action of the semiconductors on mice ears. The test was made with croton oil solution. In one test, the comparatives were no treatment, hydrocortisone, plain ink, ink with 375, 400 and 500 jg/ear. The other test used the tape pads.

Results:

Semiconductors when formulated as ink has anti-inflammatory activity. Approximately 500 jg/ear and 400 jg/ear of semiconductors has comparable anti-inflammatory activity to 200 jg of hydrocortisone. Approximately 375 jg/ear of semiconductors had very little activity at 6 hrs., indicating that the concentration of semiconductors is very critical and a small decrease in concentration can result in a change from high anti-inflammatory activity to almost not anti-inflammatory activity.

The same test was made using our semiconductors impregnated tape pads. The results were the same.

Summary:
These data indicate that semiconductors are an active topical anti-inflammatory agent when impregnated on cloth or tape.
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Muscle Relaxation Study