News About Sports and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is classified as a repetitive stress injury. This means that it develops when repeated wrist and hand motions put stress on the tendons and ligaments that surround the median nerve. When the tendons and ligaments swell, they press against the nerve as it passes through the narrow, bony carpal tunnel in the wrist, pinching the nerve and causing pain and dysfunction of the muscles in the hand. CTS was often thought to be an occupational hazard of computer and factory workers. But more and more sports enthusiasts in golf, tennis, cycling and weighlifting are developing the condition making playing their sport painful. Fortunately for athletes CTS can often be prevented and/or rehabilitated with non-invasive strategies. Please read on below for more background for a story about sports and CTS.
Greenwich, CT; New York, NY (PRWEB) October 26, 2004
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome once was thought simply to be an occupational hazard of computer users and factory workers. But more and more sports enthusiasts – from golfers and tennis players to weightlifters and cyclists – are developing the condition, which makes sports performance and critical life functions painfully challenging.
According to Kevin Plancher, MD, a leading sports orthopaedist in the New York metropolitan area and official orthopaedic surgeon for the U. S. Ski and Snowboard teams, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often overlooked as a serious threat by most players. “Because many participants of these sports focus their preventive injury strategies on major muscle groups in their arms, legs, shoulders and backs, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has taken those who engage in them frequently and at a highly-competitive level by surprise.”
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is classified as a repetitive stress injury, meaning that it develops when repeated wrist and hand motions put stress on the tendons and ligaments that surround the median nerve. When the tendons and ligaments swell, they press against the nerve as it passes through the narrow, bony carpal tunnel in the wrist, pinching the nerve and causing pain and dysfunction of the muscles in the hand. “The more often – and more intensely – sports players engage in repetitive hand and wrist motions, the more likely they are to put stress on the tendons and ligaments, causing the pain, numbness and disabling effects commonly associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” Dr. Plancher explains.
While Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can interfere with athletes’ ability to continue playing sports or to maintain a high level of performance, at its most severe, the condition can also generate chronic, debilitating pain that makes even the simplest life functions a challenge. “Many of those who suffer from CTS will wait weeks, if not months, before seeing a professional about their pain,” Dr. Plancher says. In fact, in a recent study by the American Chronic Pain Association, a third of chronic pain sufferers admit to waiting three months or longer from the first sign of pain before contacting their physician. “In the case of CTS, waiting for symptoms to go away on their own may actually exacerbate the condition,” Dr. Plancher explains.
Can Carpal Tunnel Syndrome be prevented?
Fortunately, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can often be prevented using simple strategies before, during and after sports performance. Dr. Plancher recommends the following strategies to reduce stress on the tendons and ligaments of the wrists and hands during sports:
Engage the body: Focus on allowing the arms, shoulders and back to share the range of motion with the hands and wrists, keeping the wrist as straight as possible during play.
Take a break: At least once an hour, take a break from play to shake out the hands and wrists, and to massage the wrist, palm and fingers.
Avoid caffeine and smoking: They can reduce normal blood flow to the extremities and increase the risk of abnormal swelling during exercise
Rehabilitation and treatment options
Fortunately, many cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome respond well to rehabilitation, including the traditional RICE acronym of rest, ice, compression (or splinting of the wrist and hand) and elevation to reduce the swelling of the tendons and ligaments. Exercises, both aerobic and targeted, can also be effective in rehabilitating a case of CTS. However, Dr. Plancher recommends consulting first with a board-certified orthopaedist, who can determine the best course of therapy for each individual’s specific injury. “For example,” Dr. Plancher says, “While many cases of CTS can be addressed with isolated therapeutic exercises for the wrist and hand, other cases may require surgery first, and will actually worsen if these exercises are performed before a surgical correction is made.”
Bio:
Kevin D. Plancher, M. D., M. S., F. A.C. S., F. A.A. O.S, is a leading orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine expert with extensive practice in hand, elbow, shoulder and knee injuries. Dr. Plancher is an Associate Clinical Professor in Orthopaedics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NY. He is on the Editorial Review Board of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a reviewer for the Arthroscopy Journal.
A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Plancher received an M. S. in Physiology and an M. D. from their school of medicine (cum laude). He did his residency at Harvard's combined Orthopaedic program and a Fellowship at the Steadman-Hawkins clinic in Vail, Colorado where he studied shoulder and knee reconstruction. Dr. Plancher continued his relationship with the Clinic for the next six years as a Consultant. Dr. Plancher has been a team physician for over 15 athletic teams, including high school, college and national championship teams. Dr. Plancher is an attending physician at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City and The Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT and has offices in Manhattan and Greenwich, Connecticut.
Dr. Plancher lectures extensively domestically and internationally on issues related to Orthopaedic procedures and injury management. During 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Dr. Plancher was named among the Top Doctors in the New York Metro area and was the New York State Representative for the Council of Delegates to the American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons. For the past six years Dr. Plancher has received the Order of Merit (Magnum Cum Laude) for distinguished Philanthropy in the Advancement of Orthopaedic Surgery by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. In 2001, he founded "The Orthopaedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles", a non-profit foundation focused on maintaining and enhancing the physical well-being of active individuals through the development and promotion of research and supporting technologies. www. plancherortho. com.
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