Basic HTML Version
ere’s something strange going on with
your hand lately. Sometimes it tingles
and burns—some of your ngers do too.
And maybe you wake up some mornings
to nd your hand numb.
Youmight have tried—literally—to shake
the pins-and-needles sensation from your
hand and wrist. ese can be signs of carpal
tunnel syndrome—a common nerve prob-
lemthatmight get worsewithout proper care.
e carpal tunnel is a narrow space in
the wrist that contains the median nerve,
which controls feeling and movement in
parts of the hand.
If certain tissues there become swollen,
it squeezes the median nerve inside. And
compressing that nerve can cause a lot of
problems in a hand, such as:
Tingling, numbness or pain, especially
in the palm, thumb, index, middle and
part of the ring nger.
Pain that travels up the wrist and
forearm.
Hands that feel swollen but look normal.
A weak grip, which may cause someone
to drop things or to fumble with button-
ing a shirt.
THUMBS DOWN TO TEXTING
Got some sore thumbs? Per-
haps an achy wrist? The culprit may be your smartphone.
Heavy use can cause hand problems such as carpal
tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. To reduce your risk, keep
your wrists straight in a neutral grip when holding the
device and take a break every hour.
American Society of Hand Therapists
Easy
Fast
Simple
Secure
S
AMARITAN
H
OSPITAL
S
AMARITAN
C
LINIC
Online Bill Pay now available for Samaritan Hospital and
Samaritan Clinic patients.
1) Go to www.samaritanhealthcare.com
2) Click on “Online bill pay” in the top right-hand corner
3) Register or login
4) Follow the prompts
Online Bill Pay Now Available
Samaritan Hospital Billing
509-793-9715
Samaritan Clinic Billing
509-793-9765
www.samaritanhealthcare.com
Movin’ on
Physical therapy can help
keep your body in motion
If you’re recovering from an illness or
injury or living with a medical condi-
tion that’s slowed you down, you may
need help to get moving again. A physi-
cal therapist (PT) is o en best-suited to
provide that assistance.
Who are they?
PTs are highly educated
medical professionals. At minimum, they
are required to hold a master’s degree. But
many now leave school with doctorates.
As students, PTs study a range of sub-
jects, including biology, anatomy, physiol-
ogy, neuroscience and pharmacology. And
as part of their training, they’re required to
have supervised clinical experience. Once
in the workforce, they join together with
other members of a patient’s medical team
to help people do more physically and live
a better life.
Letting you be you
A PT’s goal is to help
patients:
Move more easily.
Have
better function and less pain.
Avoid
disability.
is wide range of goals means that ther-
apists can put their knowledge and skills to
use in many di erent situations—and with
people of all ages. For example, a PT might:
Position an infant and tap the baby’s
chest in a way that allows secretions to
drain from the lungs. is can make it
easier for the baby to breathe.
Teach a young athlete ways to reduce
overuse injuries.
Work to strengthen limbs weakened by
stroke so that a person can walk again and
regain as much independence as possible.
Develop a tness program for older
adults with arthritis that will enable them
to continue to take part in their favorite
activities.
Sometimes PTs specialize in a particu-
lar area, such as geriatrics, neurology or
sports. But all PTs tailor their work to their
patients’ unique needs.
Ready to help
PTs make use of a variety
of techniques when working with patients,
including exercises, manual therapy and
assistive devices. And they are expected
to earn continuing education credits
throughout their careers.
Talk with your doctor to see if a PT
could help you. A therapist can get you
moving in the right direction.
Samaritan’s Outpatient Physi-
cal erapy is here to help. Call
-
.
Source: American Physical Therapy Association
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
When a wrist goes wrong
Many people have symptoms right a er
they wake up, because sleeping with curled
sts squeezes the median nerve. But symp-
toms can happen at any time.
It’s important to tell a doctor if you’re
having symptoms of carpal tunnel syn-
drome. Le untreated, the condition can
worsen to the point of permanent nerve
damage, possibly a ecting feeling in your
hand. Also, your doctor must rule out
other possible causes of your symptoms.
If you do have carpal tunnel syndrome,
treatment options may include:
Taking medications for swelling and
pain.
Wearing a wrist-straightening splint or
brace, especially at night.
Resting your wrist, which might in-
volve changing tasks that worsen your
symptoms.
Getting steroid injections in the wrist
for temporary relief.
If these steps don’t help, surgery may
be recommended to free up space for the
median nerve.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; American College
of Rheumatology; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6
T H E S A M A R I T A N
F A L L 2 0 1 2
N E W S , V I E W S & T I P S
S A M A R I T A N H E A L T H