Finding Carpal Tunnel Relief

Looking for carpal tunnel relief? Many people are. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common repetitive strain injuries. That means there are many people out their searching for a carpal tunnel syndrome cure. Let's look at some of the ways CTS is treated. Before making a decision about CTS treatment you need to understand your options.

When you first notice that you have symptoms that are similar to carpal tunnel syndrome you probably went to the doctor to get a diagnosis. I recommend that even if you're planning to treat your carpal tunnel syndrome yourself, you should get an official diagnosis. You need to be sure that you're suffering from CTS and not wrist tendonitis.

If you have wrist tendonitis you'll experience pain and inflammation in the wrist along the tendons, but don't have any numbness and tingling, it's likely that you're experiencing wrist tendonitis instead of CTS.

There are a few things that are normally done to treat CTS. Let's look at what they are.

Rest

The first thing normally recommended for someone who is experiencing CTS is rest. Resting the area will provide you with carpal tunnel relief because it gives your wrist time to heal.

Ice

Ice can be used to reduce swelling and pain. You can ice the area for up to 15 minutes every hour.

Weight Loss

If you're overweight, loosing those extra pounds will give you some carpal tunnel relief and May even get rid of them completely. Normally, CTS affects 10% of the population, but the syndrome actually affects 25% of the obese population. The exact reason for the link between CTS and obesity is unknown.

Splints and Braces

To discourage you from bending your wrist in a way that pinches the nerve in the wrist associated with CTS many doctors recommend that you wear a wrist splint or brace. Wrist splints keep your wrists straight and prevent you from bending them. This will help prevent you from preforming a motion that pinches the nerve.

Wearing a splint at night is a good idea. It'll help keep you from bending your wrist while you sleep. Wearing the splint all the time though will cause an imbalance in the muscles of the wrist. That imbalance will worsen the problem in the long run.

Anti-Inflammatories

Taking anti-inflammatories will reduce your pain and swelling but they aren't a carpal tunnel syndrome cure. They give you carpal tunnel relief by treating the symptoms, but don't address the root cause. Taking anti-inflammatories for a long period of time will cause negative side effects, like ulcers.

You're experiencing pain, numbness and discomfort because there's something wrong. If you take anti-inflammatories to dull the pain there is still something wrong you just can't feel it. Even worse, because you can't feel it you can continue to do the motion that caused your injury in the first place making it worse.

Cortisone Injections

These injections may give you much needed carpal tunnel relief temporarily, but once they wear off the pain returns. Again this is treating the symptoms without really addressing the cause of the problem.

Surgery

CTS surgery should be a last resort. For the surgery the doctor cuts the fibrous band of tissue in the wrist that bridges the median nerve and the tendons that run to the hand. This gives the nerve and tendons more space to move around. With all surgeries there are risks.

Once the surgery is over you'll need six weeks to recover. You'll also have to get some physical therapy to help you regain wrist strength.

My Carpal Tunnel Cure

As a new massage therapist I experienced carpal tunnel syndrome. Massage therapists do repetitive movements with their hands and wrists. Many therapists experience problems with carpal tunnel.

When my symptoms started I was quite scared. I didn't know what to do about it and thought my career was over. Luckily, it wasn't. After talking to many other therapists I learned some specific things I could do to cure my carpal tunnel syndrome. Click the link to find out more about my story and how my carpal tunnel syndrome cures.