Carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by the entrapment of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist, is something we've all heard about.

It's characterized by pain and numbness in the hand, excluding the pinky, and onset of pain is often at night. When we wake up in the morning, we often ignore the pain and continue on with our days, when there are some simple things we could do to keep the problem from getting worse.

To help avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, set your desk up properly. Your computer screen should be approximately two feet away from you, with the document at eye level so you are not leaning forward, straining to see it. When using the keyboard, wrists should be straight, with your elbows at 90 degrees. Make sure the keyboard is not slanted downwards, which will cause the wrists to bend, compressing the carpal tunnel. When using BlackBerrys or other hand-held devices, try to make sure the wrists are not flexing or extending, and avoid over-using your thumbs.

There are some simple exercises everybody should do before working on the computer, to warm up and help stretch the tissues in the hands and forearms. If you already have mild symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, these exercises are fantastic. Surgery is often avoided if you start this routine when symptoms first occur. I give these exercises to clients who spend hours at a time on the computer. Athletes don't dash into competition without a warm up, so why should you start your day without proper preparation?

This routine should be repeated five times at the beginning of the day before you sit down at the computer, and in sets of five throughout the workday to help avoid carpal tunnel syndrome.

Simple warm-ups to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome

1. Stand with your arms in front of you. Extend wrists towards the ceiling; hold for five seconds.

2. Straighten wrists, and relax your fingers; hold for a count of five.

3. Make a fist, then flex fists down towards the floor; hold for five seconds.

Meghan Max is a registered massage therapist working with Corporate Massage Therapy at Back on Track Physiotherapy. She is studying to expand her horizons by becoming certified as a personal trainer and as a nutritional consultant.