Thinking About Having Carpal Tunnel Surgery? Read This First!
Home Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often marked by tingling, pain and numbness in the affected arm and hand. This common condition can happen when the median nerve — one of the vital nerves leading to the hand — is squeezed or otherwise compromised in the wrist area. Because most patients experience a worsening of symptoms as time goes on, it’s important that carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed and treated early.
Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Experiencing continued pressure on the median nerve could lead to permanent nerve damage so it’s important to address it. Left untreated, surgery might be necessary to prevent such damage and to relieve pressure on the nerve. Fortunately, there are other, non-surgical steps you can take to help prevent the need for such a huge step.
Changes in Activity
Carpal tunnel syndrome often starts because the wrist and hand are in the same extended or flexed position for a long period of time. Recreational activities or your job duties are usually the reason for this. Modifying the way an activity is performed can often help slow the progression of the disease or even stop it. It’s hoped that this step will prevent the need to discontinue a favorite activity in the future.
When it comes to your job, it might also be necessary to change the way a particular activity is performed. If such modifications aren’t successful at stopping the pain and other symptoms, another option for some people could be to explore a transfer to a different department or to a different set of job duties.
Wearing a Splint or Brace
By wearing a splint or brace, the wrist is kept in a straight position so the median nerve is not compressed or compromised and pressure is relieved. While wearing a brace or splint while you sleep prevents you from inadvertently bending your wrist, doing so during the day when you are completing the activities that irritate the nerve might also be helpful.
Over-the-counter Medications
While your instinct might be to reach for a pain reliever when carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms flare up, using the right one is important for more comprehensive relief. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — often referred to simply as NSAIDs in the medical community — include common medications such as naproxen and ibuprofen you can purchase with a prescription. These can relieve both the pain and inflammation that’s often associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Specific Exercises
There are specific exercises designed to help the median nerve move more freely within the carpal tunnel. These could offer benefits such as a reduction in pain, numbness and swelling when performed by a physical therapist.
Other Treatments
If the treatments above haven’t given you the relief you have been looking for, consider visiting BackFit Health + Spine. BackFit has many natural treatments available for carpal tunnel pain relief, like Ultrasound Therapy. During Ultrasound Therapy, sound wave pulses are used to penetrate the tissues which causes tiny gas bubbles inside them to expand and contract. The result is a reduction of tissue swelling and a decrease in the inflammatory response so there is a decrease in pain.
Surgery is not your only option for finding relief from carpal tunnel syndrome and its painful symptoms. At BackFit Health + Spine, we are dedicated to providing our patients with the care and treatment they need to relieve their symptoms now while being proactive about the future. For a complimentary assessment, contact BackFit today!
More About BackFit
Do you want to know more? Explore our locations, treatments, or our new patient offering below or contact one of the BackFit staff members to have your questions answered.