ring more attention in the medical and business communities in Texas due to its ability to incapacitate valuable workers, not to mention the pain and suffering it causes.

"It's a tough call," sighed Mike* after a long day. "I hurt all the time now. I have to start considering surgery or…something. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to work."

Mike was diagnosed with CTS several months ago, and is increasi

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most commonly reported work-related disorders in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas, and across the United States. Although studies are still out, those most affected seem to be employees with jobs that require long-term repetitive movements, particularly those working with small hand tools or using computer keyboards on a regular basis.

Women are more likely to be diagnosed with CTS than men, and though it is highly suspected many young people suffer from the condition, those between the ages of forty and sixty are the most commonly diagnosed. Those with health insurance are also more likely to be treated.

CTS is a painful syndrome caused by pressure on the median nerve of the wrist, which runs through a passageway called the carpal tunnel. This syndrome affects the musculoskeletal structures of the upper extremity, and often results in pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hands and/or wrist. Further symptoms include increased tingling or pain at night, a feeling of uselessness or weakness in the fingers, decreased ability to squeeze objects, loss of strength in the muscles at the base of the hand, and shooting pain up the arm, sometimes as far as the shoulder. In severe cases, partial paralysis may occur.

It's been difficult to diagnose in the past, and therefore difficult for many in Texas and across the U.S. to get treatment covered by individual health insurance. Cities like Austin, Houston and Dallas, though, now have more easily accessible pain centers, which specialize in diagnosing the syndrome through physical examinations and specialized scans, like MRIs.

CTS is garnering more attention in the medical and business communities in Texas due to its ability to incapacitate valuable workers, not to mention the pain and suffering it causes.

"It's a tough call," sighed Mike* after a long day. "I hurt all the time now. I have to start considering surgery or…something. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to work."

Mike was diagnosed with CTS several months ago, and is increasi

nosed with CTS than men, and though it is highly suspected many young people suffer from the condition, those between the ages of forty and sixty are the most commonly diagnosed. Those with health insurance are also more likely to be treated.

CTS is a painful syndrome caused by pressure on the median nerve of the wrist, which runs through a passageway called the carpal tunnel. This syndrome affects the musculoskeletal structures of the upper extremity, and often results in pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hands and/or wrist. Further symptoms include increased tingling or pain at night, a feeling of uselessness or weakness in the fingers, decreased ability to squeeze objects, loss of strength in the muscles at the base of the hand, and shooting pain up the arm, sometimes as far as the shoulder. In severe cases, partial paralysis may occur.

It's been difficult to diagnose in the past, and therefore difficult for many in Texas and across the U.S. to get treatment covered by individual health insurance. Cities like Austin, Houston and Dallas, though, now have more easily accessible pain centers, which specialize in diagnosing the syndrome through physical examinations and specialized scans, like MRIs.

CTS is garnering more attention in the medical and business communities in Texas due to its ability to incapacitate valuable workers, not to mention the pain and suffering it causes.

"It's a tough call," sighed Mike* after a long day. "I hurt all the time now. I have to start considering surgery or…something. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to work."

Mike was diagnosed with CTS several months ago, and is increasi

keletal structures of the upper extremity, and often results in pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hands and/or wrist. Further symptoms include increased tingling or pain at night, a feeling of uselessness or weakness in the fingers, decreased ability to squeeze objects, loss of strength in the muscles at the base of the hand, and shooting pain up the arm, sometimes as far as the shoulder. In severe cases, partial paralysis may occur.

It's been difficult to diagnose in the past, and therefore difficult for many in Texas and across the U.S. to get treatment covered by individual health insurance. Cities like Austin, Houston and Dallas, though, now have more easily accessible pain centers, which specialize in diagnosing the syndrome through physical examinations and specialized scans, like MRIs.

CTS is garnering more attention in the medical and business communities in Texas due to its ability to incapacitate valuable workers, not to mention the pain and suffering it causes.

"It's a tough call," sighed Mike* after a long day. "I hurt all the time now. I have to start considering surgery or…something. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to work."

Mike was diagnosed with CTS several months ago, and is increasi

partial paralysis may occur.

It's been difficult to diagnose in the past, and therefore difficult for many in Texas and across the U.S. to get treatment covered by individual health insurance. Cities like Austin, Houston and Dallas, though, now have more easily accessible pain centers, which specialize in diagnosing the syndrome through physical examinations and specialized scans, like MRIs.

CTS is garnering more attention in the medical and business communities in Texas due to its ability to incapacitate valuable workers, not to mention the pain and suffering it causes.

"It's a tough call," sighed Mike* after a long day. "I hurt all the time now. I have to start considering surgery or…something. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to work."

Mike was diagnosed with CTS several months ago, and is increasi

ring more attention in the medical and business communities in Texas due to its ability to incapacitate valuable workers, not to mention the pain and suffering it causes.

"It's a tough call," sighed Mike* after a long day. "I hurt all the time now. I have to start considering surgery or…something. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to work."

Mike was diagnosed with CTS several months ago, and is increasingly worried about his ability to maintain his income as a self-employed production artist. "I don't have health insurance, so if I can get out of doing the surgery, I will. It seems so drastic anyway."

The trouble with carpal tunnel syndrome is that the longer the condition goes untreated, the higher the chances of permanent damage. And like any disease, CTS is statistically less likely to be diagnosed and treated without health insurance coverage. Mike's story is not particularly rare. Over 25% of people in Texas went uninsured in 2005, far exceeding the national average of 15.9%. Rates are higher for the self-employed. What this translates into is 46.6 million Americans going without health insurance, 5.4 million more than in 2001—the recession year. Mike can't afford treatment, but he can't afford not to get treated, either.

Fortunately, there are less expensive options than surgery, and Texas offers a wide variety of choices, particularly in urban centers like Austin, Dallas and Houston. Pain centers specializing in carpal tunnel syndrome are excellent resources.

The first step, of course, is reducing the symptoms of the condition in hopes that, with time, those symptoms may be eliminated. These are free or low-cost measures that do not require individual health insurance policies. High caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol intake are contributing factors; those suspecting they have CTS should eliminate or reduce these as much as possible. Food allergies may exacerbate, or even cause, some of these symptoms as well, and common triggers include dairy, canola oil, and wheat/gluten products.

Some health practitioners believe dehydrat