Computers and "Funny Feeling Fingers"

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

February 26, 1995

Do you feel a burning, tingling and numbness sensation in your hand while working long hours at the computer? Does your hand go to sleep at night? Or have you dropped the coffee pot lately? If so, you may be developing the "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" (CTS). If so, what is the best way to treat this disorder?

¡ "Funny feeling fingers" has received increased publicity in recent years as injured workers begun to take employers to court. They charge that long hours of repetitive work at computers have triggered this condition.

¡ But Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was known long before computers became part of our lives. In the past, chronic pain in the hand was referred to as "writer's cramp" or "washerwoman's thumb".

¡ CTS also occurs in tennis and squash players, dentists, pianists, and carpenters. And it's been known to prevent a blind person from reading braille.

¡ The first symptom is usually a tingling sensation, a prickling numbness or a burning pain in the fingers and hand. This normally starts at the tip of the thumb, index or middle finger and gradually spreads to the inside of the ring finger and palm of the hand. Both hands can be affected, but the hand you use the most is more prone to this malady.

¡ The numbness is usually worse at night when the hand is in a flexed position. On awakening, the sufferer believes the circulation has been cut off and shakes the affected hand. But the straightening of the wrist usually relieves the numbness.

Some patients tell me they have to stop driving the car to ease the discomfort. Others who work on machines doing repetitive hand tasks must change jobs or quit altogether.

Later on as the disorder progresses, some patients notice weakness of the hand muscles, particularly those of the thumb. They have difficulty using a screw driver or opening a door. Or drop the frying pan and burn themselves.

So what causes these symptoms? It appears the Creator didn't anticipate the repetitive tasks facing workers today and didn't make the carpal tunnel large enough. The walls of the tunnel are formed by the bones of the wrist, and the roof by bands of fibrous tissue.

The median nerve which controls movements of the fingers and carries sensations back to the brain travels through this space. So do the nine tendons that control the fingers. Any undue pressure on them can cause "funny feeling fingers".

¡ The size of the tunnel is decreased by several probelms. Repetitive movements can cause thickening of the tendons' lubricating membrane. Osteoarthritis also narrows the space. Rheumatoid arthritis which produces inflammatory swelling of the tendons creates a similar effect.

¡ Hand pain during the night is a major diagnostic sign. But doctors can also do nerve conduction studies to determine the nerve's ability to transmit impulses.

¡ There are several ways to treat CTS. A rest from repetitive tasks may be all that's needed to ease the symptoms. Or wearing a splint during the night to keep the wrist from flexing.

¡ Don't pound the computer keyboard. Make sure your fingers are lowers than your wrists. Avoid working in a cold room which decreases blood supply. And if pain develops while typing or playing tennis it's a signal to stop.

¡ Anti©inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen, placing ice on the wrist, or injections of cortisone may be helpful. And vitamin B6 has been beneficial in some patients.

¡ The role of surgery is a hotly debated issue. The School of Public Health at the University of California claims that surgery is usually successful unless the problem has been present for many years.

¡ Dr. Susan Mackinnon, Professor of Surgery at Washington University, disagrees. She says a small percentage of patients with hand tingling and numbness that truly interferes with their work may benefit form surgery. But her studies show that most patients feel better with conservative treatment in two months. ¡ Dr. Mackinnon reports that patients who suffer from "funny feeling fingers" also complain of pain in the neck, shoulders and upper back. And surgery on the wrist won't relieve that symptom.

¡ Mackinnon has found that people working at computer terminals tend to roll their shoulders forward, round their lower backs and poke their chins forward especially when they're tired. This posture shortens neck and shoulder muscles and when muscles get tight they press on nerves. ¡ Her prescription is physical therapy which involves stretching muscles that are too tight and strengthening weak muscles. It also includes a general fitness program of aerobic exercise and weight control. Before surgery, it's worth trying for "funny feeling fingers".

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod