Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is probably something that every developer or designer is afraid of having. We spend too much time in front of our computers, typing for 8 hours or more, depending so much on our hands (and of course, our brains) to do our work. Workspace ergonomics is so important for people in tech that I see a lot of friends spend a lot of money on ergonomic keyboards, chairs, mice, tables, and more. It’s also affecting those who are in ESports which has more Actions Per Minute (APM) compared to typing. It even forces some players to retire early (but the good news is some of them actually comeback after surgery)

CTS isn’t limited to people in the tech and gaming industry. In fact, it actually happens less compared to other industries. As per National Institute of Neorological Disorders and Stroke:

The risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not confined to people in a single industry or job, but is especially common in those performing assembly line work — manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, and meat, poultry, or fish packing. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome is three times more common among assemblers than among data-entry personnel.

Unfortunately for me, I was recently diagnosed with CTS. I’m not gonna deny, I freaking cried in front of the doctor, even though he did say it was just mild CTS. I kept thinking how hard it will be for me to draw, design, and type.

I always get asked by tech friends what they should do to prevent it and how would they know if they already have it. So to spread awareness, I want to share a bit of my background, the symptoms, and what to do if you think you already have it, and what are the procedures you will undergo to ease it.

Disclaimer: I never had medical training of some sort. What I’ll share are just the things that I learned as a patient and from further reading. So if you think I got something wrong, feel free to comment!

A bit of background

What’s disappointing about being diagnosed with CTS is that it’s hard to determine what exactly are your habits that led to having it. Is it just because of keyboard use? I will never know, apparently. So I’ll just provide a background of my habits and body structure that may have led to me having CTS:

I’m 24 years old and I’m a Designer + Front End Developer for 4 years. According to the therapists, this is a really early age for me to have CTS. It usually develops for decades.

I’m thin and small. Me being thin probably contributed to why I easily had CTS according to the therapists.

I’m an illustrator. I draw from time to time and it’s not intensive. I’ve been drawing since I was in elementary school.

I’m a left-handed. My right hand was the first to have CTS, my left hand followed soon after.

Late 2016, I signed up for gym membership and worked out for around 6 months. It’s the first time I actually did physical activity years after college. Me suddenly lifting weights (4–6kg) probably contributed to it, again, according to the therapists.

I have a lot of hobbies that uses my hands: drawing, painting, calligraphy, yoyoing, photography, writing, coding (for myself), etc. I also used to do Aikido.

Causes and symptoms

Symptoms happen gradually: you may feel like your palms are burning, weak, numb, tingling, and sometimes painful, especially the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Decreased grip, difficulty in typing, and other manual tasks become so hard to do. It’s not something you can simply shake off. As for the causes, according to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:

Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that reduce the available space for the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself. 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 also may contribute to the compression. Often, no single cause can be identified.

Photo source

In my case, I spend most of my time in front of the computer and using the keyboard. My hand and wrist position when typing, as far as I can remember, is “floating” and not resting in a wrist rest or the table. Which, apparently, is a wrong posture. I’ll get to the right posture later!

These are the symptoms that I’ve experienced over 1–2 weeks. When resting, my hands seem normal but the moment I use them for any kind of activity, it would instantly be painful and tingling.

If you are experiencing these symptoms for 1–2 weeks, consult your doctor immediately before it worsens.

Consulting the doctor and undergoing therapy

There were 3 stages that I had to go through when I went to the hospital (if you’re curious which hospital, it’s The Medical City, Pasig City, PH) for a check up:

Check up with the Orthopedic doctor

Check up with the Rehab doctor

Physical Therapy

The ortho did the initial check up. I told him what happened and what I was feeling then he made me do a simple task: Put the back of my hands against each other, near my chest for 1 minute.

In just a few seconds, I felt the pain and burning in my thumb, index finger, middle finger, and my palm. At this moment, the doctor told me that I may be suffering from CTS.

He then prescribed Pregabalin, which is a medicine for nerve pain, and take it for a month. He also asked me to head to the rehab to get consulted again and if it’s positive, get my therapy session schedule from there.

When I went to the rehab doctor, I went through some more physical tests again: checking the strength of my fingers, the numbness and tingling, etc etc. Sadly I can’t remember exactly all the tests done but one of them is tapping the bottom part of the palm and see if there’s a “current” running from there to the tips of my fingers. And yes, there is.

It was another moment to declare and tell me that I have CTS (I was in denial when the first doctor told me), and that’s where I cried. Fortunately, he did tell me that the status is mild, and it’s good that I got to have it checked up before it got worse. Unlike worse cases, my hands and fingers still have strength. There are others who can’t even pinch or lift something.

After telling me I have CTS, he scheduled me for therapy. Three times per week, for two weeks. He also prescribed Keltican (Uridine + Vitamin B12 + Folic Acid) which is a vitamin for my nerves. I have to take it for 2 months.

The Therapy

There were just a few exercises during therapy: