Can Anyone Tell Me About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatments?

Hi,

I was recently diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and I was wondering if anyone has any information on carpal tunnel treatments. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I'm sorry to hear about your condition but there are treatments available to cure carpal tunnel.

The surgerical option is very popular and is called Carpal Tunnel Release. You'll need to be referred by your doctor (UK) if you want to have this done.

There are also a few non-surgical options such as:

Drugs - In special circumstances, various drugs can ease the pain and swelling associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers, may ease symptoms that have been present for a short time or have been caused by strenuous activity. Orally administered diuretics ("water pills") can decrease swelling. Corticosteroids (such as prednisone) or the drug lidocaine can be injected directly into the wrist or taken by mouth (in the case of prednisone) to relieve pressure on the median nerve and provide immediate, temporary relief to persons with mild or intermittent symptoms. (Caution: persons with diabetes and those who may be predisposed to diabetes should note that prolonged use of corticosteroids can make it difficult to regulate insulin levels. Corticosterioids should not be taken without a doctor's prescription.) Additionally, some studies show that vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine) supplements may ease the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Exercise - Stretching and strengthening exercises can be helpful in people whose symptoms have abated. These exercises may be supervised by a physical therapist, who is trained to use exercises to treat physical impairments, or an occupational therapist, who is trained in evaluating people with physical impairments and helping them build skills to improve their health and well-being.

Alternative therapies - Acupuncture and chiropractic care have benefited some patients but their effectiveness remains unproved. An exception is yoga, which has been shown to reduce pain and improve grip strength among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

I hope this has answered your question.

There are some treatments out there. If you are willing to look more alternative, accupuncutre has some great ways of helping with Carpal tunnel. They could reduce the pain and help you out a lot.

They will do surgery as a last resort. You will be given cortisone shots and told to do hand exercises first. And you will be given braces to put on your hand to keep your fingers straight out will you are sleeping. If your carpal Tunnel is real bad, then you will have to wear them during the day also. Good Luck. Since my plant closed the factory my hands no longer hurt. I think they are finally healing.

"curing" CTS is tough, because it requires alteration of whatever is involved in the repetitive movement. Most folks (including me) are stubborn to alter movement patterns significantly enough to make a difference in promoting the CTS. It took for me a serious flare up to start really doing something about it.

In my case, I believe the root of my CTS comes from tension in my neck that tightens on the median nerve...the median nerve is what goes through the carpal tunnel. A chain reaction of events is set up that leads to inflammation of both the nerve and/or the tendons going through the tunnel as well.

What has helped me? Bodywork (Hellerwork, Rolfing) helped most, some massage has helped and chiropractic has helped the global picture.

What I can do on my own is stretching...VITAL...for the work I do, using my hands and body all the time. I would say vital for any of us with CTS, who doesn't use their hands and body?