Imagine a large tunnel running through a very busy metropolis. During rush hour, the tunnel is filled to the brim with several lanes of cars and trucks of all sizes, all aiming to get into the single tunnel. Such a setup often makes your head ache and you know how much of a pain it is trying to get through it.

The analogy may not be dead on, but your wrist has a similar opening or canal that separates a sheath of tendons and the bones that make up the wrist and the hands (collectively known as the carpal bones). The canal, called the carpal tunnel, is the passageway for nine tendons—called the flexor tendons—and one main nerve called the median nerve. The median nerve gives nerve sensations to the skin of the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger and half of the ring finger; it also controls their movements.

The problem starts when too much continuous pressure is applied to the median nerve. The median nerve is usually compressed whenever there is a decrease in the size of the canal, if an increase in the size of the tendons is detected, or if there is a combination of both. Simply bending your wrist at a 90 degree angle is enough to decrease the canal’s size and a swelling of the flexor tendons’ lubrication tissue can increase their size, which constricts the canal space. When too much pressure is applied to the median nerve for too long a time, it will result in a loss of motor power to the muscles in your hand. The resulting condition is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome will not spring up over night. It is gradual, developing over time due to repeated, often routine, movements of both your hand and wrist. The preliminary symptoms include a numbing and burning sensation in the fingers that fall under the median nerve’s control. As the condition progresses, the person may feel a weakness in the affected hand, making him or her unable to grip hard or frequently drop objects. Finally, in advanced cases, there may be a degradation of the thenar muscles (the muscles that are connected to your thumb).

Women are twice as likely to get carpal tunnel syndrome as men. There are also several factors other than hand stress and movements that contribute to you getting a carpal tunnel syndrome. For example, illnesses like obesity, hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis can cause swelling in tissues and joints of the arm, lending to pressure on the median nerve. Smoking can also contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome by affecting blood flow to your median nerve. Pregnancy, especially at the later stages, can cause women to retain fluid that may compress the space in the canal. However, work that involves repetitive and heavy use of the hand and wrist is the greatest factor in contributing to carpal tunnel syndrome, the cause of about 40% of the cases.

If you think you have carpal tunnel syndrome, get relief as soon as possible before your condition worsens. Here are some steps to rid yourself of the condition or, at the very least, minimize its discomfort.

Take a break from your work routine. After doing the same thing over and over again, take the time to give yourself a break and relax, if only for a couple of minutes. If you’re doing work that is particularly taxing on the wrist (like typing on a keyboard or gardening), put an interval in between jobs. Studies have shown that taking multiple mini-breaks instead of taking long breaks occasionally is more effective and lessens the risk of putting extended pressure on your nerve. If you’re doing typing jobs, there are software programs available that alert you when you need to take a break.

Be kind to your hand and wrist joints. Putting intense or rigorous pressure on your wrist joints is a first-class express ticket to carpal tunnel syndrome. When you feel that familiar sense of tingling and numbness, do some gentle hand exercises. Move your hand around for about two minutes. Doing so will restore circulation in your hands and gets your wrist out of the bent position that usually causes carpal tunnel syndrome. If your job requires movements that give you some symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, then change how you usually do that task. Alternatively, use tools that can help you accomplish that job easier. Likewise, pacing a job will allow your wrist and hands to get some rest and will ease off some of the pressure they’re subjected to.

Use your arms and shoulders to support your wrist and hands. For example, instead of just using your hands to carry your bag, sling it on your shoulder. Clutching your books and things close to your chest will also demand less pressure from your wrist rather than just freely swinging them down. You can also use outside help like shopping carts to help you carry your load.

The bottom line is to ease up on the pressure to your wrist and hands.

Go ergonomic. There are numerous things today that are ergonomically designed to provide relief and support to your body. Use them instead to reduce stress on your wrist and arm. For example, a normal QWERTY keyboard can be replaced with one that has a more ergonomic design, like a Dvorak keyboard. When typing, bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and make sure that your elbows are at the same height as your keyboard. There are also chairs that are ergonomically designed to provide better support and relaxation.

Apply cold treatment. If you’re experiencing pain in your wrist and there is swelling, applying a cold compress will help alleviate the pain and bring the swelling down. You can also try heat application, although there have been several concerns that applying heat may worsen the inflammation of the joint. Be on the safe side and use cold treatments, since the cold numbs the affected area by constricting the blood vessels as well as blocking the nerve impulses in the joint.

Use medications to relieve joint pain and inflammation. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) helps reduce the swelling and the pain that you experience with carpal tunnel syndrome. Medications such as Advil and aspirin can be taken without prescription. Remember that different individuals may react to different medications, so it is always recommended that you consult a physician before doing any drug treatment.

For more serious conditions, try surgery. The good news about carpal tunnel surgery is that it has a high success rate: more than 90% of patients have gone on to full recovery. The surgery, which is called carpal tunnel release, relieves the pressure placed on the median nerve by dividing the transverse carpal ligament, the ligament that presses down on the nerves in the canal. There are two major kinds of surgery for this: the open-hand surgery and the endoscopic surgery. They differ in the way the surgeon gets to the ligament but they essentially do the same thing. Both surgeries leave an insignificant scar.

It is always better to prevent carpal tunnel that treat it, so always make sure to relieve your wrist from constant pressure. Exercise and breaks are necessary to maintain a balance in your work. Remember, your future can be in your hand – literally – so take care of it.