Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Now

Does Heat Therapy Reduce Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you may have wondered how to use heat to help reduce your pain.

If you apply heat to an area, it increases blood flow. 

This is a good thing, because tight muscles cause pain and other symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.  The increased blood flow relaxes those muscles.

There is just one thing to know:  While the increased blood flow is good for healing, sometimes it can cause additional swelling.  That isn't good.

As a rule, you can tell yourself whether applying heat is making you feel better or worse. 

If your carpal tunnel symptoms feel worse after using heat, then it is not the appropriate treatment for your carpal tunnel discomfort.  Instead, switch to ice or cold therapy.

If your symptoms are less, and you feel better after using heat, then it is a good therapy for you to use.

How do you apply heat for your carpal tunnel syndrome?

Moist heat seems to go more deeply into your muscles than dry heat. 

Soak a towel in very hot water and wring it out.  Or, wet, wring out and heat a towel in a microwave oven (be careful--the towel can get really, really hot in a microwave.)  If you wrap the hot pack in plastic, it will stay hot longer because air can't get to it.

Moist heating pads that use electricity are available at stores.

Apply the heat directly to your skin or

Should You Use a Wrist Brace for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Should you wear a wrist brace if you have carpal tunnel symptoms in your wrist, hand and arm?

Well, the purpose of a brace is to prevent you from working or sleeping with your wrist in a bent position.  The neutral position for your wrist--and the one we should use the most--is the straight wrist. 

Doing tasks with a straight wrist generally doesn't aggravate the muscles around the carpal tunnel.

If you wake in the morning with carpal tunnel symptoms that are worse, because you sleep with your hands and wrists all curled up, then wear a brace at night.

If your carpal tunnel symptoms are worse during the day, then wear a brace during the day.

The idea of the wrist brace is to help you remember not to overextend or stress your wrist.  It will restrict your movements and make it more difficult for you to aggravate your carpal tunnel area.

If you were to wear a brace all day and all night, the muscles around your wrist would weaken.  A brace is like a girdle:  it prevents you from using your muscles and they become weak.

We sure don't want weak muscles!

If you feel that a wrist brace helps you, wear it only part of the day or during the night, whenever you need it most.

What should you do the rest of the time?

• Move your wrist, arms and hands in many different positions. 
• Stretch your hands and arms in the opposite direction of the one you are usually in. 
• Open your hands and your chest. 
• Lift your chest.
• Lift and rotate your shoulders, especially back.
• Start walking and swing your arms at your sides sometimes straight and sometimes bent at the elbow.
• Hold your arms straight out sideways from your shoulders and rotate your hands.  Make circles in one direction and then in the other direction.

If you move in a variety of ways, your muscles will be much happier, and you can reduce your carpal tunnel symptoms.

It takes a lot of these counter-movements for you to reduce your carpal tunnel symptoms, but...

You Are Worth It!

Does 'Slumping' or Slouching Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Do you slump or do you sit up straight?  Tell the truth, now...

You probably already know that slumping causes back and neck pain, but does it also cause carpal tunnel pain?

Sure, it does. 

The word "slump" means "collapse."  It means "falling" or "sinking."  This is not a good thing to do to our bodies.

Slouching or slumping compresses the nerves and muscles in front of your body.  It makes you hold your neck in strange positions, too.  Those nerves and muscles in the front of your chest and around your neck send messages to your arms and hands.  They can cause carpal tunnel symptoms.

Here's a good article I found for you about why we slump and what we can do to stop slumping. 
http://ezinearticles.com/?Active-Sitting---More-Than-Good-Desk-Posture&id=1669836

It's written by a yoga therapist, but it's not about yoga.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think about it.

5 Tips to Get Rid of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Without Surgery

Do you think it's possible to get rid of carpal tunnel syndrome once you have it?  Without surgery?

In almost every case, the answer is yes.  Just like every other thing that can "go wrong" in your body, and can heal, so can carpal tunnel problems.

Your body wants to heal; it wants to be well.  Your wrist is part of your body.  If you can correct the causes of your carpal tunnel discomfort, you can get rid of your pain.

Do you think I make it sound 'too simple?'

Well, okay.  I do.  But there are steps you can take, and the steps are each simple.

1.  Educate yourself.  Learn as much as you can about the true causes and natural cures for carpal tunnel syndrome.  An educated patient is one who will get well.  Typical causes for pain in the carpal tunnel area include trigger points (crabby areas of muscle which 'fire' into other areas and cause pain,) poor posture which strains muscles, a weak back and vitamin B-12 deficiency.  These are all things that can be corrected.

2.  Feed yourself.  A body that is getting good nutrition and sufficient water can heal sooner than one that isn't.  Which do you suppose would heal faster?  A body that eats goodies and sweets on a regular basis, or one that eats lots of veggies and fruits?  If you 'eat for color' (red, yellow, green, etc.,-- natural colors--not food coloring) you will get more of the nutrients you need to heal.

3.  Strengthen your back.  This is really, really important.  Lots of carpal tunnel symptoms are caused by weak back muscles.  A weak back causes poor posture and 'forward head.'  A strong back corrects those causes of carpal tunnel pain.

4.  Reawaken all the muscles you haven't used in years.  All the parts used to work properly when you were a child, and most of them can again :-)  Roll your shoulders up and back.  Stretch your chest muscles.  You don't want to lose it, do you?  Then you must move it.

5.  Get a strong back.  I know I said this in #3, but it's really, really important!  Not only will it help you get rid of carpal tunnel symptoms, it will also help you feel better in many other ways, too.  Every part of your body will function better.

You can learn how to get a strong back at SimpleStrengthening.com   Having a strong backside will help you get rid of your carpal tunnel discomfort.

And that's a good thing.

Because you deserve to feel better!

Four Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Tips

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome already, lots of things you used to be able to do bother you now.

If your carpal tunnel area hurts when you lift a pan in the kitchen with just one hand, use both hands.  Or, get pots and pans that weigh less or that have 2 handles or lifts.  Rubbery hot pot holders will make it easier to grip that pot than padded fabric pot holders.

If using a pen, pencil or toothbrush causes carpal tunnel pain, try a fatter pen or handle.  Or, pad your the tool with foam or a foam hair roller (just push the tool through the hole in the center.)  Or, hold the tool between your middle and ring finger (that uses different muscles.)  Try writing from your shoulder instead of your lower arm.  Try brushing your teeth with a straight wrist or with your opposite hand.

If carrying tools or supplies causes carpal tunnel discomfort, or if you lift weights, wear gloves with non-slip palms.  The gloves grip the surface so you don't have to work as hard.

If your thumb hurts when you wrap your hand around something, try using just your fingers and palm.  You may still be able to carry or lift without as much discomfort.  Just let your thumb be relaxed.

If the computer mouse aggravates your carpal tunnel area, use the opposite hand.  You may have to rearrange your workspace.  You'll get the hang of it in no time, and it's fun while you're learning (just watch the 'delete' key.)

What do you think causes the most carpal tunnel discomfort for you?

Carpal tunnel syndrome always has a cause.  If you can figure out ways to get rid of the cause, that's the best solution.

In the meantime, using tools to make your carpal tunnel symptoms less uncomfortable is helpful.

"Because You Deserve to Feel Better!"

Have You Stretched Your Carpal Tunnel Today?

We have magnificent bodies that were created to move in all kinds of ways.  But, too often, we stop moving in all of these ways.  When we only use some of our muscles, and not all of them, we get pain symptoms like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Our muscles are telling us:  "Hey!  Use me!  Make me feel good again!  If you don't, then I'm going to give you grief!"  (Translation from muscle-speak: "I'm going to give you carpal tunnel pain!  How about some numbness, too?  Hey?  Hey?")

If you're working with your hands curled up most of the day, give your muscles a gift.  Move them.  A lot.  Many times a day. 

Move them in the opposite direction of their usual position.

You probably already know that you have a 'tunnel' in each wrist.  This is the carpal tunnel.  It is made up of carpal bones on three sides.  That's how the 'carpal tunnel' got the name.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome means you have uncomfortable symptoms around your carpal tunnel--your wrist.  This is often caused by tight, out-of-balance muscles in your hand and arm.  Those muscles pull on joints and need to be released or relaxed.

How can you relax the muscles around your hand and arm to reduce your carpal tunnel symptoms?

There are simple stretches you can do. 

The good news is you can start them right away and do them often.  They don't require any special equipment.

What is the position that you usually hold your hands in?  Are your fingers curled toward your palms?  (Well, yes, that is about the only way we can do a lot of things, isn't it?)

The stretches you do are to move your fingers away from your palms. 

Open your hands, spread your fingers and thumb, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

Whoa!  How does that feel?

If you have more pain or numbness at any time while you are doing these stretches, stop!  That might not be an appropriate stretch for you.  Try some of the others, instead.

On the other hand, if you simply notice tightness or stretching, you're on the right track!

So, do that simple carpal tunnel stretch with your palms