Ever experienced pain or numbness in your hand all of a sudden? This could be a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome. What are the best ways to ease carpal tunnel syndrome pain?
Medically reviewed by Regina Victoria Boyles, MD · Pediatrics
Ever experienced pain or numbness in your hand all of a sudden? This could be a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome. What are the best ways to ease carpal tunnel syndrome pain?
Before we discuss how to ease the pain, it’s important to understand why carpal tunnel syndrome happens in the first place.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs because of the following:
Initially, the numbness or tingling might begin with one finger and then slowly spread to the hand.
The common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are:
Other symptoms include:
This is probably the first thing that comes to your mind and even the first thing you do when you have symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
All you need to do is just shake your hands for two minutes. This simple exercise will help to prevent cramps. You can perform this exercise after every few hours for two to three minutes.
This is another simple exercise that helps to ease carpal tunnel syndrome pain.
Here’s how to do it:
This simple exercise helps to ease the pain as well as improves flexibility.
Most people experience carpal tunnel syndrome because of poor wrist alignment while typing on the keyboard.
To make sure your hands have some movements take some break and try doing the circular motion exercise.
This exercise is simple and can be done at the comfort of your home or at your work desk.
This exercise will hardly take five minutes. Repeat the exercise five to seven times a day to ease carpal tunnel syndrome pain.
Do not sit in one place for a longer stretch of time. Take a break after every few hours and do some stretching or take a walk. If you are not able to leave your work desk, you can just sit on the chair and stretch and move your wrist in a circular motion. This will help to improve the blood flow and flexibility and prevent cramps.
Splints help to keep your wrist straight and prevent excess stress on the median nerve.
The symptoms mostly get worse at night because of your sleeping position. Hence, it is advised to wear splints before going to bed for a few months.
People with the disorder have experienced the symptoms getting better after regular use of splints. If you experience the symptoms more often during the day, you can even choose to wear the splints during the day or when doing activities that trigger symptoms.
If your work involves sitting in front of your computer or laptop for a longer period, it is important for you to rearrange your workstation as per your need.
Make sure your posture is correct. If the position of your workstation is contributing to your pain, request your manager and change your desk.
Sitting in the correct position minimizes your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Other options that can help to ease carpal tunnel syndrome pain are:
If your symptoms worsen and the exercises and lifestyle changes seem ineffective, consult your doctor.
Your doctor may prescribe you medications and steroid injections to reduce inflammation. Your doctor may even ask you to monitor your symptoms and triggers. If you experience the symptoms get worse in certain positions, your doctor may ask you to avoid the position.
In rare cases, if your pain is severe, your doctor may even recommend undergoing surgery.
Learn more about peripheral nerve disorders, here.
Disclaimer
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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