Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Now

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Wrist Braces

Are you wondering whether to use a splint or wrist brace for your carpal tunnel symptoms?

When we break a bone, it often needs to be splinted to prevent movement so the bone can heal.  That works very well for bones.  It's what they need.

However, muscles are not like bones.

Muscles need to move. 

Muscle movement keeps your fluids--blood and lymph--moving.  When your body fluids move, they transport metabolic (body) wastes away from your wrist.  Your body fluids also supply healing nutrients to your tissues, so when they are moving, your carpal tunnel benefits.

A tight brace, or bracelet or watch band, will prevent nutrients from getting into your hand and wrist area.  Not good.

And, if you use a brace, other muscles will try to take over the work of the muscles that can't move (because of the brace.)  That can cause muscle strain in your elbow or shoulder.

So, should you use a wrist brace?

There may be times when you feel it is really helpful or necessary.  For instance, if you wake up with your hands all curled up and are in pain, a wrist brace while you are sleeping will help you keep your wrists from bending.

If you wear the brace loosely, so your body fluids can keep moving and you can still get some slight movement in your muscles, that might help you wake with less pain.

But, here is the question:  Is it possible that there is a reason your hands curl up when you sleep?  Your muscles do get into "habits."

Is it possible that the muscles on the palm side of your lower arms and the palm side of your hands and fingers are in contraction (short)?  If so, perhaps massaging your lower arms and palms would help more than the brace would.  Massage can be done daily.  There are directions here at Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief for self-massage.  Look in the "Categories."

What about wearing a wrist brace during the day?

If you tend to flex your wrists while you are working or playing, and it causes distress in your carpal tunnel area, you might feel that wearing a brace is the answer.  Maybe it is.

Or, perhaps, a better solution would be to "re-work" yourself.  Reposition your equipment, table, desk, chair or footrest so that you don't have to work with your wrist curled, tilted or bent.

Lots of times we do things in a certain way regardless of what our body would prefer.  You might be doing things that cause pain without even realizing that you are.

We humans sometimes do things like that.  We are so busy thinking, typing, working, or whatever--we get so involved--that we don't pay attention to our body until it starts to scream at us.

Including, of course, your carpal tunnel.  It can "scream" pretty loud.

So, what's another solution besides a wrist brace?

Pain relief ergonomics will let you work comfortably with all of your body parts in the correct positions to work without pain at your desk, table or computer.

The first thing you have to do is know the "how" and "why" of positioning yourself, so go check out Pain relief ergonomics. 

Getting rid of the cause of your carpal tunnel symptoms is much better than just treating symptoms.

"Because You Deserve To Feel Better!"

Self Care is Critical for Carpal Tunnel & Thoracic Outlet Symptoms

I read an article by a man who had numbness and tingling in his arm.

He also had weakness in his hand and his grip was so weak he couldn't even pick up a pencil.

He had thoracic outlet syndrome.  That is pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in the "thoracic outlet."  The thoracic outlet is an area near the front of your shoulder.  It is responsible for a lot of symptoms in the carpal tunnel area.

The kind of funny thing was, this man was an expert in a type of rehabilitative massage.  He was teaching clients and students how to take care of themselves, and how to take care of their pain symptoms.

But, he had not been taking care of himself!

And, it is important to take care of yourself.  Over time, his symptoms kept getting worse and worse.   He believed his symptoms were caused by poor posture and repetitive movements without understanding that he, too, needed self-care.

The sooner or earlier you start self-care, the sooner you can get well.

Eventually, he was able to keep from having surgery by having a month of therapies which included stretching the muscle groups that were causing his symptoms (including those in his neck, chest and wrist.)  Other therapies he used were chiropractic, lymphatic drainage, and therapeutic massage therapies. 

He used the chiropractic to move the bones that muscles had pulled out of place.  The lymphatic drainage helped moved swelling from his hand and arm.  The massage therapists helped normalize tissues that were too tight, or held "trigger points." 

Now, he is careful to take care of himself with self-care methods.  He takes personal responsibility for keeping his muscle groups in balance, so the muscles around his neck would not pull his bones back out of alignment.

So, what do you need to do?

Strengthen the muscles in your back and the back of your arms, and stretch the muscles in the front of your chest, neck and shoulders.

At this time, our teacher is pain-free and 100% functional.  His symptoms are gone.  It takes him only 5 minutes to 30 minutes each day to stretch and strengthen.

Are you worth an intense month of therapy?  Yes, you are. 

Are you worth 5 to 30 minutes a day of maintenance?  Yes, you are.

So, how do you find all of the information you need to get started? 

Well, a lot of it is here, at Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief.com.  Check the "categories" for "self-help," "nutrition" and "massage."  Read the other articles here, too, and look into the "resources" that are here.

Start educating yourself and take action!  The sooner the better!

If you think it's important to see your doctor, see him.  Maybe he can get you into a program to improve your posture and reduce your carpal tunnel or thoracic outlet symptoms.  That would be great!

But, it's still up to you to take care of yourself.

You are the boss of your body.

So, start your back strengthening program and a program to stretch your shortened front muscles now.

"Because You Deserve to Feel Better!"

Pain in Your Thumb? Is it Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

If you have pain in your thumb, maybe it seems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but...

There are lots of reasons why you can have pain in your thumb, and most of them involve your muscles!

Let's count the ways...

There are muscles on the outside of your lower arm that cause pain in your thumb.  There are muscles on the underside, or palm side, of your arm that refer pain into your thumb.

Also, the muscles on the palm side of your thumb cause thumb pain.

But, wait! 

There's more!

How about these muscles:

• on the lower part of your shoulder blade on your back
• under your collar bone
• and on the side of your neck?

Yes, all of those muscles can cause pain in your thumb, too.

When the muscles far away from your thumb cause pain, it is "referred" pain.  Muscles that are "too tight" can "refer" pain to other parts of your body.  Muscles generally become "too tight" from being overstretched (they get tight to protect themselves.)

So, what can you do to get rid of pain in your thumb?

Press into your own muscles and look for tender places.  "Look" all around your arm and thumb.  Press in under your collarbone and gently on the side of your neck.

When muscles are tight, you can release them with pressure--unless they are overstretched.  If a muscle is overstretched, it doesn't want to relax through pressure.

Overstretched muscles need to be shortened (and the short muscles that caused them to be overstretched need to be made longer, or stretched.)

One way to shorten overstretched muscles is by strengthening the area they are in.  Go to www.SimpleStrengthening.com to find easy ways to get a strong back.

You can apply pressure by massaging your muscles yourself.  (Look under "categories" here at www.CarpalTunnelPainRelief.com for "massage.")

You can press into tender areas and hold for about 12 seconds.  You can go back to the same tender area several times.  That will warm your muscles and get the blood flowing again.  Pressure will release your tight muscles.

You may be surprised when you discover a tender area.  It may even make you wince or jump. 

When an area of muscle is that tender, there's a good bet that is the cause of your thumb pain.

When muscle is that tender, the best thing to do

Carpal Tunnel Interview on Blog Talk Radio

Would you like to hear an information packed audio all about Carpal Tunnel issues?

Connie Ragen Green interviewed me for Blog Talk Radio for 30 minutes.

Here is the link to the free recording.

Interview About Carpal Tunnel 

There is no charge, just click on the link and the program will start in a moment.

Connie asked me lots of great questions about the causes and treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other carpal tunnel issues (pain in your hand, arm and wrist.)

I got to tell her as much as I could for those 30 minutes and had a wonderful time, too.

Hope you have a chance to listen.

Enjoy!

Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? How to Eat to Heal Your Carpal Tunnel Symptoms

Your car runs on gasoline (probably.) 

You wouldn't put milk in your car.  It wouldn't work.

Your pet needs food that will help it remain healthy.  You probably don't feed your pet Snickers bars for lunch every day.  That would cause illness for your pet.

You? 

Maybe you like Snickers candy bars for lunch every day, and habits can be a little hard to break.

Well, "you are what you eat."  Truly.

If you give your body the "fuel" it needs, your body will function better.

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, there's a good chance that you have some vitamin or mineral deficiencies.  Perhaps you don't have enough vitamin B6.  That's a common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome.  There are a couple of articles here at Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief.  Just look under "nutrition" in the "categories."

Perhaps your body is hungry for something you aren't giving it--it knows something is missing.

So much of the "food" we buy is processed (made in a factory--and they may not be looking out for our health there.)  So many additives go into processed foods (and they aren't all good for us, either.)

There is a lot of confusion about what is a "healthy" diet or way of eating.  Some folks say "low carb" and some don't have a clue what a "carb" is, or what makes a carb good or bad.

Some people say "high protein" and some who follow that don't look at the long-term outcome.

Here are some suggestions on eating to heal your carpal tunnel symptoms.  (Remember, most of your symptoms involve your muscles and soft tissues.  Muscles and soft tissues, as well as your bones and brain, have nutrition requirements which must be met in order for them to function well.)

1.  Eat meals that are well-balanced.  What does that mean?  Pick 3 to 5 foods which are completely different from each other for each meal.  Have "colorful" foods on at least 3/4 of your plate.  (You're not fooling your body if those colorful foods include Cheese Puffs or a breakfast cereal with fake fruit chips in it.)  Eat Real and Whole Foods as much as possible.

2.  Skip junk foods.  There is a reason they are called "junk foods."  They don't help your body heal or be well.  They include soda pop, hyper-sweetened cereal, alcoholic drinks, sugar and other sweeteners (including artificial), and "snacks."  Instead, try to replace those things with water, fruits and veggies--Real Foods. 

3.  Take your time when you eat.  Try to carve out a time when you can sit down and pay attention to your food and enjoy it.  Chew well so all the nutrients will be released into your body.

4.  Pay attention to your body wisdom.  After you eat a certain food, if you notice

Foods With the Most Vitamin B6 to Reduce Carpal Tunnel Inflammation

Vitamin B6 is just one of many necessary vitamins for all of us.  If you have a sufficient amount of this vitamin, it will help get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms.

To increase your intake of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) you can eat the following foods: 

Red bell peppers (raw); boiled spinach; boiled turnip greens; bananas; yellowfin tuna; chicken and turkey breast; baked or broiled Chinook salmon, cod fish, snapper fish, halibut fish, tuna fish: and beef.

Boiled cauliflower, raw celery, boiled cabbage, steamed asparagus, kale, steamed broccoli, boiled Brussels sprouts, swiss chard and garlic.  Watermelon, green peas, sweet potatoes and yams.

Kidney beans, sunflower seeds, carrots, corn, crabmeat, lentils, lima beans potatoes, brown rice, soybeans, eggs, pearled barley and bran, raisins and whole grains.

Vitamin B6 is critical to your health and wellness. 

Conventional medicine (your doctor) knows that people who have carpal tunnel symptoms often have a deficiency in B6. 

A deficiency (not enough in your body) may show up as skin conditions, asthma, depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, nervous system and cardio conditions, and other symptoms.

How else can you increase your vitamin B6 intake?

With a good nutritional supplement, of course.  You can buy B6 by itself, a good mix of B-vitamins (because they work together) or ask your doctor for a recommendation.

If you would like more information about this important vitamin, you can find it by clicking here.
That link will take you to a page which is devoted to vitamin B6 at the World's Healthiest Food.

Remember, an educated patient is one who will get well faster.  You can get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms by educating yourself and taking action.

"Because You Deserve to Feel Better!"

If Vitamin B6 Deficiency Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, What Causes B6 Deficiency?

Doctors know that Vitamin B6 deficiency causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

But what causes you to have a deficiency?

This is what the "Encyclopedia of Healing Foods" says about Vitamin B6 deficiency:

Since 1950, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has increased "in parallel with the increased presence of compounds that interfere with vitamin B6 in the body."  In particular, Dr. Michael Murray (author) says that tartrazine (FD&C Yellow #5) is added to "nearly every packaged food" and interferes with B6 absorption. 

In the US, he says, the average daily consumption (how much we eat) of certified dyes is 15 milligrams, of which 85% is tartrazine.  That means, if you are average, you are eating 5,000 milligrams a year, which is approximately one teaspoon. That might not sound like much to you, but it is one teaspoon of a chemical that you don't need--it is not making you healthier.

The doctor suggests eliminating tartrazine and increasing foods rich in B6 to help relieve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

And, when your carpal tunnel symptoms flare up, Dr. Murray suggests drinking fresh pineapple juice and eating ginger. Both have anti-inflammatory properties (they reduce inflammation in your tissues.)  Curcumin, which comes from the spice turmeric, is also an anti-inflammatory.

If you read the labels on food, drug or cosmetic products, you will see a lot of things listed.  Some of those ingredients might even to cause you to think, "Hmmm.  I wonder why that is in there?"  I think that often. 

I ask myself, "Why did the manufacturers think this product needs to have something to color it?  I think it would have looked fine with its' natural color."

So, what can you do to eat less tartrazine? 

Start by reading labels on packages of prepared food.  Look for the words "FD&C Yellow #5" or "natural and artificial food coloring."  Be suspicious and read all labels.

You never know what you might find.

There is a large "food industry" out there.  And, the job of the food industry is not to make you healthy.  It is to get you to buy products that appeal to your eye (food coloring) your nose (artificial aromas) and taste buds (artificial flavors.)  Might as well eat petroleum products.  In fact, you are.

There is a lot to be said for eating as close to nature as you can.  Farmers don't grow food that has tartrazine in it. 

But, factories do.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery? What to Ask Your Surgeon Before You Decide

If you are considering having surgery for your carpal tunnel symptoms, you want to be able to make an informed decision.

An knowledgeable patient always makes the best decisions.  This means it is up to you to learn all that you can about your situation and about conventional medical treatments as well as alternative (natural or complementary) treatments (like massage) for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Your doctor wants to prevent permanent nerve damage from pressure in your carpal tunnel. 

There are conservative (non-surgical) ways to reduce that pressure that work for most people.  They can certainly be worth trying before deciding to have a surgical carpal tunnel release.

When you talk with your doctor about carpal tunnel surgery, listen carefully, take notes and ask good questions.

What to ask your doctor or surgeon:

1. Why is your doctor recommending the surgery?
2. What does she believe caused your carpal tunnel symptoms?  (Note:  the most common cause is soft tissues and muscles in your arm or neck.)
3. What does she expect the outcome to be?
4. How long does she believe you will have benefit from the surgery?  Forever?  Six months?
5. How long will your recovery take?
6. Is there any other treatment or therapy she thinks you should try first? 
7. What about physical therapy or therapeutic massage and exercises to correct your posture? *
8. How many carpal tunnel releases has she done before?  How many of those patients were totally relieved of their symptoms, and for how long?
9. Do you have the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or could it be some other pain syndrome?

You might have other questions that you would also like to have answered.

Remember, you doctor is a service provider for you.  It's okay for you to ask questions.

Your doctors' job is to help you eliminate your carpal tunnel pain and make good decisions about your treatment.  When she answers your questions that will make your decision easier.

(* Most doctors do not know very much about the roles of muscles and soft tissues in pain syndromes because so little is taught in medical school about that.  You might have to see what you can do on your own.)

Keep learning about natural relief for carpal tunnel syndrome.  Sometimes you just have to be your own doctor.

The more information you have about the true causes of your carpal tunnel pain and the ways to get rid of it, the better your chances of a full recovery.
And, while some people do need carpal tunnel surgery, probably most people can get rid of it with massage (by a professional or yourself,) using ice or heat, strengthening your back and correcting your posture.

If you put what you learn into practice, you may discover quite quickly that you don't need surgery. 

When you have the option, it's always better to take the natural route to wellness.

"Because You Deserve to Feel Better!"

Why Should You Have Carpal Tunnel Surgery?

There are times when carpal tunnel surgery is the only answer for the pain, numbness and tingling in your hand and fingers. 

• If you have had a crushing injury of damage to your wrist, where the carpal tunnel is, you might need surgery to restructure your bones to get rid of the pressure on your nerves.
• If you have a genetically small carpal tunnel, which is rare, but which some people are born with.

The carpal tunnel is a small area in your wrist.  There are bones on three sides and tough tissue on the palm side.  The inside of the "tunnel" is where your nerves, tendons and blood vessels pass through to your hand. 

There is only so much room for the nerves that run through your carpal tunnel.  If something (like swelling, inflammation or injured bones) causes pressure on the median nerve that passes through your carpal tunnel, it will cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

If pressure on your nerves continues long enough, there is the possibility of permanent nerve damage.  Nerves don't like being pressed on for long periods of time.

Should you have carpal tunnel surgery?

Well, there may be other ways to take the pressure off the nerves in your carpal tunnel.  Carpal tunnel surgery should be a last resort.

If you go to a conservative doctor, he might offer to send you to physical therapy first.  He might suggest anti-inflammatories, therapeutic massage, a wrist brace or other therapies.  That doctor knows that if you take the pressure off the structures inside the carpal tunnel, you will allow natural healing to take its' course.

However, if you go to a surgeon for an opinion, his first offer will most likely be carpal tunnel surgery.  That's what he was trained in and that's what he does best.  It seems that most surgeons generally look for a reason to operate to fix things.  It has been my experience, that if you're going for an opinion, don't go to a surgeon first.

At any rate, your doctor is looking for a way to help prevent permanent nerve damage in your carpal tunnel.  She may be able to do that with conservative measures or she may feel that you need surgery.

This is your body, and you are the one who has to make the decision of whether or not to have a surgical carpal tunnel release.

Since an informed patient is more likely to make a good decision, learn all you can about all of your options, including non-surgical ones.

"Because You Deserve to Feel Better!"

Should You Have Surgery for Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

When you have a lot of carpal tunnel distress, and are feeling really desperate, you might ask your doctor what he suggests.  He may suggest carpal tunnel surgery.

If you are desperate enough for relief, you might consider surgery to relieve your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Here's something you should know about carpal tunnel surgery.  About half of the people who have carpal tunnel surgery get relief.  About 50% of them don't get relief.

Within a couple of years after having carpal tunnel surgery, about half of the people who originally got relief will start to have carpal tunnel symptoms again.

There is a reason for the symptoms starting again.  The surgery doesn't respect the natural laws of the body.  If the surgeon only treats the symptoms, but not the actual cause of your carpal tunnel discomfort, then there is a good chance that your carpal tunnel issue will return again within just a couple of years.

What does carpal tunnel surgery do?

Basically, the surgeon makes a cut in the tough tissue that is on the palm side of your wrist.  This cut takes pressure off the nerves and blood vessels that are inside your wrist--inside your carpal tunnel.

This cut changes something that you were born with.  If you were born with this tough tissue, there must have been a reason for it.

There are a few people who actually have a carpal tunnel space that is smaller than average.  For them, carpal tunnel surgery may be needed to create more space.

If you consider having surgery, ask your doctor every question you can think of, including...

• How long will your recovery take?
• Does he think carpal tunnel surgery will definitely relieve your pain?
• Does she think it could come back again?
• How many carpal tunnel releases has he done?
• Does she think there is any other way you can get better, like physical therapy or other therapies?

The more

Another Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Resource

My friend Bruce Bair has a good site where you can find lots more information about carpal tunnel syndrome, including pictures and a video that demonstrate the carpal tunnel.

His information includes conventional medical information (what you doctor would tell you) about carpal tunnel syndrome and treatments.

You will also find alternative resources there (including links to my articles here at CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com.)

So, if you'd like a source of more information on carpal tunnel symptoms and treatments, without searching all over, you can go to GetTheSkinneyOnCarpalTunnelSyndrome

Bruce is in the medical field, and he put this site about carpal tunnel syndrome together for his patients, but you can take advantage of it.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (pain, numbness and tingling around your carpal tunnel) and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (generalized all-over pain usually including other symptoms) have something in common. 

They are both pain syndromes.

A "syndrome" is a collection of "symptoms." 

Symptoms are signals that your body is complaining about something.  That "something" could be something you do...or don't do, eat...or don't eat.  It could be caused by a vitamin deficiency, not enough restful sleep, a postural distortion which could be curvature of your spine or poor posture.  Or, there could be other causes.

So, does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome cause fibromyalgia?

Or, can having fibromyalgia cause carpal tunnel symptoms?

There could be a connection.  Here's what I suspect.

People who have fibromyalgia tend to have forward-head posture.  I have never seen anyone with fibromyalgia who had good posture.  This puts a lot of strain on the muscle attachments that create the "tender points" that doctors press on to determine a "fibro" diagnosis (after they rule out more serious issues, like lupus and MS.) 

A collapsed, or forward, posture contributes to (and may be a large part of the cause of) fibromyalgia.

Sometimes, it may be possible that the forward-head posture came after other symptoms of fibromyalgia had already started, in response to feeling unwell.

Forward-head posture also strains the muscles and nerves around your neck and shoulders that contribute to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

• Many people who have fibromyalgia symptoms also have carpal tunnel symptoms.
• There are also carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers who have fibromyalgia.

If there is a connection, it seems most likely to me that it would be the forward-head posture.

Getting a straight, strong backside will help eliminate carpal tunnel and fibromyalgia symptoms.

And, if fibromyalgia symptoms are bothering you, a great resource can be found at Fibromyalgia Survival Guide.  Jane Thompson has a free newsletter and a really useful, easy to understand program explaining the symptoms and natural ways you can get rid of them.

"Because You Deserve to Feel Better!"