"Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by inflammation and internal swelling around the median nerve at the base of the palm," says Dr. Eberbach, a plastic and hand surgeon. "It is distinctly different from this newer syndrome, which is the direct result of external pressure on the nerve when one's wrists rest at the keyboard."
According to Dr. Eberbach, it is due to this difference that most of the treatment options designed to relieve traditional hand and wrist injuries are ineffective in relieving keyboard-generated discomfort. Trying to treat Computer Associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with rigid splinting, "ergonomic" keyboards or Carpal Tunnel release surgery is often futile, and sometimes even irritates the symptoms. It's also expensive! Estimated costs for Carpal Tunnel surgery including evaluation, lab work, EKG, chest x-ray, outpatient surgery, therapy, Surgeons fee and four weeks lost wages could total $30,OOOOO! Some companies have invested in ergonomically correct work stations costing $2,5OO.00, which doesn't guarantee: that a staffer won't develop symptoms.
After suffering from the intense pain himself, Dr Eberbach designed the SoftFlex glove which protects the median nerve from the pressure associated with computer usage. After two months of using his own invention, his symptoms were gone. This flngerless glove consist of two soft foam cushions that run parallel to the median nerve at the wrist. When computer keyboard or mouse users rest their wrists at the computer, the SoftFlex pads absorb and divert external pressure from the median nerve. There is no rigid braces or splints so the washable Lycra gloves allow full range of hand motion. Dr Eberbach said that a research study of volunteer users of SoftFlex Computer Gloves shows that more than 75% of the symptomatic computer users saw marked improvement and 25% had no symptoms at all after wearing SoftFlex Computer Gloves for just six weeks.
"With the real cause of keyboard pain properly diagnosed, devising the proper treatment was a fairly a straightforward proposition," says Dr. Eberbach. SoftFlex Computer Gloves are a remarkably simple, effective and inexpensive means of providing comfort and prevention from the symptoms our computer dependant society are plagued by today.
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