CTS, often known as carpal tunnel syndrome, is a condition that affects thousands of people every day. It can be an unpleasant experience and can cause varying degrees of pain and discomfort in your hands and wrists. The pain can make it difficult to handle your daily activities. The immediate pain isn’t the only problem either. You not only feel pain in your wrist, but you also run the danger of a long-term injury that might significantly lower your quality of life. So, how exactly can you relieve CTS?
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Before we get into the various things you can do to prevent and even treat Carpal tunnel syndrome, we first have to take a look at what it is so you know what you’re dealing with.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition that affects the wrist and hand area. It occurs when the nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel becomes compressed, leading to a range of symptoms such as tingling, numbness, and pain in the wrist and fingers. The condition is often associated with repetitive motions, such as spending long hours typing on a computer, and swinging sports equipment like rackets, bats and clubs.
The severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can also vary between cases. While one person will have no issues dealing with the pain that it can inflict, another might be crippled by it and have difficulty doing anything involving their hands and wrists.
When symptoms are treated properly, the hand and wrist can generally regain mobility and the pain will start vanishing. The best part is that there are quite a few at-home treatments you can do to help ease the pain and discomfort brought on by CTS. But remember that they can’t completely replace conventional treatment in the more severe cases.
Tips to Relieve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms
Here, we’ve listed a few tips you can do to help relieve the pain and discomfort brought on by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Wear a splint on your wrists.
When you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, you may feel immense pain and discomfort. This is caused by the pinched nerve being compressed by your movements. Wearing a splint on your wrists can help prevent this additional pressure. It’s best that you wear a splint during the day when you’re doing repetitive tasks that will cause discomfort. You can also wear a splint during the night to minimize the pressure on your arms and wrists while you sleep.
Keep your hands warm.
The cold is one of your worst enemies if you’re experiencing a case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is because of how it causes your muscles and tendons to tense up and add pressure on your wrist. Staying warm can help relieve pain, discomfort, and stiffness when you’re experiencing it.
Take frequent breaks
Repetitive tasks like continuous typing on your keyboard can increase the pain and discomfort caused by carpal tunnel syndrome you’re feeling. Putting additional pressure on your wrists also slows down the healing process. So make sure you’re taking frequent breaks to help your wrists heal.
Stretch your wrists
Stretching your wrists and hands is a great way to relieve discomfort and pain caused by CTS. This is because it helps relieve the pressure on your nerves. So, if you’re lying down, in line at the store, working, or just anywhere and anytime you feel that the discomfort is slowly creeping up on you, take a minute or two to stretch your wrists and hands.
Elevate your wrists and hands
Holding your hands and wrists in a flexed position for extended periods of time, such as when typing or using a keyboard or mouse, can put extra pressure on the nerves in the wrist and lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Keeping your wrists and hands elevated, especially if you work in an office, is a great way to lessen the pain it causes. Adjusting your keyboard and mouse to a more ergonomic position and using a wrist rest can be a great way to keep your hands and wrists elevated.
Get Professional Help
As we’ve mentioned, although these tips can help relieve pain and discomfort, they are not a replacement for conventional treatment. Consulting a professional doctor or chiropractor like our excellent team will ensure that you’re not doing more damage and getting the right treatment. We can even recommend personalized home remedies that will work specifically for you.
Just give our expert chiropractor Dr. Rebecca Carlson at (602) 712-9444. We’ll make sure you get the help you need for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or any other conditions you might be experiencing.
Final Thoughts
Carpal tunnel syndrome can heavily affect your daily activities and leaving it as is can cause a lot of misery. So making sure you know how to handle a case of CTS can be a big help. Just keep these tips in mind and you’re on your way to proper recovery.
