Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Now

What Doctors Look For When Diagnosing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

There are some causes for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that doctors look for when they make a diagnosis.  One of these is diabetes.  One is a genetically (means you were born with it) small carpal  tunnel space (which is rare.)

And, there are a few more which are related to medical problems like either type of arthritis or pregnancy.

But, in my mind (and please remember, I am not a doctor-- I am a neuromuscular pain relief
specialist) if you take care of your muscles, give them what they need, release the tight muscles that are causing symptoms and work in the most correct, neutral positions that you can, then you have a good chance to get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms even if...

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Questionnaire

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Questions for You:

1.  Do you know HOWto get rid of your carpal tunnel pain? 

2.  Do you know WHY you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? 

3.  Do you know WHAT Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is?

4.  Do you know what CAUSES your carpal tunnel symptoms?

5.  Do you know WHERE to find the answers you need to

You Can Have Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief!

How would it feel to be free of your carpal tunnel symptoms?  What would it be like to have no pain, no numbness, no tingling?  Is it possible that you could have strength in your hands again? 

Could you have carpal tunnel pain relief naturally?  In many cases, yes!

There are lots of causes for the carpal tunnel symptoms of weakness, pain, numbness and tingling.  The most common cause is your muscles.  That's good news!  Why?

Because muscles can be rehabilitated.  They can be helped.  Some of the help can come from you.  Sometimes you may need additional help from a massage therapist or a yoga instructor to get carpal tunnel pain relief.

Muscles have

Top Ten Ways To Get Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief

Here are ten ways to get rid of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

1.  Get a strong back.  When your back is strong you will prevent many of the trigger points that can cause carpal tunnel pain.

2.  Improve your posture.  This goes along with getting a strong back.  An upright posture will help you feel better all over and get rid of carpal tunnel pain.

3.  Eat healthier.  Give your body what it needs to get

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Pain Relief Gels, Sprays and Ointments - 4 Reasons They Help

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome won't be cured by applying pain relief sprays, gels or ointments but here are four reasons they could possibly help. 

1.  Applying the gel or cream with your hands means that you are moving your hands or arms quite possibly in a different way than position than usual.  Using your muscles in different ways can help relieve your symptoms.

2.  By rubbing on the cream or ointment you are massaging your hands and arms.  Massage increases your circulation and that helps reduce areas of pain and swelling.  Massage is a natural healing technique.  The pain-relief ointment may help distract you from your

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief with Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of medical treatment which is thousands of years old.  I found many references about the value of acupuncture for treating back and neck pain and suspected I would find a lot for treatment of carpal tunnel symptoms, too, but I really didn't find as many.

The practice of acupuncture involves stimulating points in muscles with thin needles.  Sometimes the needles are moved or rotated by hand.  Sometimes the stimulation comes from electrical current passing through the needles.  The electricity takes less human time than rotating the needles by hand.

This article   http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/accupuncture-carpal-tunnel-syndrome.html  has a good overview of acupuncture.

Needles for carpal tunnel symptoms are placed

The Uncommon Cure For Carpal Tunnel Pain

You know the common "cures "for carpal tunnel syndrome--surgery, wrist braces, physical therapy.  The one I like the least is the surgery.  Why?  Because whenever you are "cut and changed" you have permanent changes.  They are not always good changes.

I'm not a doctor but it seems to me, based on what people report to me, that some doctors are way to eager to say, "We can fix your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with surgery."

Sometimes people actually do need a surgical release to take pressure off a nerve to get carpal tunnel pain relief and I've written a few articles about that.  Just scroll down to the

Acupuncture and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Acupuncture is a method of "freeing up" or opening the channels of energy in a body.  I remember reading years ago that an American engineer was able to trace these energy channels.  He said they do, in fact, occur.  He was able to document them electronically or electrically.

By opening energetic channels or passageways in a body, the body regains full function.  This is accomplished with tiny thin needles.  Traditionally, in China these needles were twirled or moved by hand to stimulate (and thereby open) a point where energy was stuck.  More commonly today, stimulation is accomplished by

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Book

Carpal tunnel pain?  Relief can be yours!  "The Uncommon Cure for Carpal Tunnel Pain" has been released online.  This is a digital book--an eBook--which explains how conventional medicine looks at and treats carpal tunnel syndrome. 

But better than that, you will also discover the "Uncommon Cure."

What IS the Uncommon Cure?  It's the way for you to get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms naturally.

You will discover how your body works and what you can do to get out of pain.  You'll learn how you got into pain in the first place! 

But more than that, much more than that...

It is a complete program to get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms.

You have  

Should You Have Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief?

Sometimes Carpal Tunnel surgery is necessary.  However, since your muscles are so often the cause of your carpal tunnel symptoms, it makes sense to me to always to try the least invasive thing first. 

None of the natural methods of symptom relief like massaging your muscles, stretching, strengthening your back or yoga cause unwanted permanent changes in your body.  Surgery does.  And best of all, using the natural methods can improve your health, relieve other aches and pains and will help you to feel better all over! 

And the natural methods can help you get rid of the CAUSES of your carpal tunnel symptoms.  (Because we don't get pain without a reason.)

Sometimes you really do everything you can to get rid of your

Massage Your Hands For Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief

If you have carpal tunnel pain, relief can sometimes be as simple as massaging your hands.

Massaging your own hands when you wash them or apply lotion will help your muscles (as well as your nerves and other soft tissues, too.)  This is something you can do several times a day, even if it's just for one minute at a time. 

Massage is very beneficial (it's old medicine!) and will help relax and normalize tight tissues and "get the blood flowing".

Not only is massage good for the muscles being massaged, it is also good for the muscles that are doing the massage.  If you can massage your own arms and hands, you will

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Naturally

If you have carpal tunnel pain, relief can be yours.  Naturally! 

There are lots of reasons for carpal tunnel pain, and figuring out which reasons are causing your symptoms will help you know what to do to get rid of it without surgery or drugs.  (Although you may need some medication to help you along the rough spots.)

How can you figure out what's causing your carpal tunnel symptoms?  You can narrow it down

4 Movement Tips For Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief With The Pain Relief Coach

If you want carpal tunnel pain relief, you need to start doing some things differently.  It's important to make sure you have all the nutrients your body needs, plenty of water and enough sleep but it's also important to take care of your muscles.  Moving in different ways can make a huge difference, especially if you couple it with massage (which you can do yourself.)

Tip 1.  Throw a soft ball or toss rocks into a lake.  Underhand may be the most comfortable for you.  This movement uses your whole arm and relaxes your shoulders.

Tip 2.  Wring your hands.  Oh dear, oh dear--you might look anxious but

Does Chiropractic Treatment Help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Does Chiropractic treatment help get rid of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?  This question came from a reader.

Here's the Question:

"Do you think chiropractic can help with wrist pain and CTS because, as you said, CTS is a whole body issue. Chiropractic tries to make the whole body in alignment with a focus on the spine. I'm not a chiropractor so I don't really know what I'm talking about." =)

Here's my Response:

(I'm not a chiropractor either, so here are my best thoughts.)

1. If a wrist or bones in the hand are dislocated (not broken) and a chiropractor

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Can Be Helped With Yoga

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Yoga?  I interviewed a Registered Nurse (RN) who is also a Registered Yoga Alliance Teacher.  She said, Yes!  Yoga can help get rid of the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, yoga helps (but they didn't know why.)  Well, the reason is because your whole body is attached to your carpal tunnel.  If you get your body more in "balance" lots of complaints and symptoms will go away.

My guest also quoted a medical research study which compared patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome who studied yoga to patients who wore a wrist brace.  Guess which had the most benefit?  :-)  The yoga group!

You see, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a whole body issue and yoga is a whole body "treatment." That's why yoga helps.

Yoga has many benefits for your whole body and relieving your carpal tunnel symptoms is just one of them.  You can learn to do yoga in classes in your community or in the privacy of your home.  Online classes are available at http://YogaConfidence.com.

Can Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Happen In Only One Hand?

If your carpal tunnel symptoms are only in one hand it is called "unilateral" Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  Unilateral means on one side.  I would guess that most often one-sided symptoms might happen from an accident or from stretching to reach a mouse or tool (which strains arm muscles and causes hand pain.)

But something else can cause unilateral carpal tunnel symptoms. 

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes there is a growth in the palm side of the hand.  Anything that presses on the median nerve (the nerve that runs through the opening in your wrist called the carpal tunnel) can cause carpal tunnel symptoms.

The growth may be called a "mass" or a lipoma.  It's generally fatty tissue and wouldn't be a problem at all unless it causes symptoms of pain, burning, numbness or tingling for you. 

The connective tissue on your palm

Thumb and Finger Pain - Could It Be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Pain in your thumb and finger pain may be part of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome but it can also be caused by muscles in your upper chest (between your breastbone and arm), on your ribs (under your arm pit), near your elbow in your lower arm (on the palm side) or in your hand. 

Trigger Points are hyper-irritable or crabby areas of muscle that send pain elsewhere on your body. 

And trigger points can develop in your chest, ribs, arm and hands.  They can cause thumb and finger pain.  That's good news!  Why?

When the muscles that cause pain in your hand are unhappy, you can "treat" them (push into them or massage them) to help them feel happier.  When they are happy, you will be happy, too!

Massaging your own hands when you

Pillows and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Does Your Neck Cause Your Carpal Tunnel Symptoms?

Neck muscles definitely can cause carpal tunnel symptoms.  You can find an article about that in the "Category" on the right hand side called "Causes of Carpal Tunnel Symptoms."

Here's an e-mail I received (that I love) and my response.  It's about pillows.  A good pillow that supports the natural curve in your neck can make a world of difference.  It helps keep all of your muscles balanced so they don't cause symptoms.

"I do declare my symptoms are diminishing and i don't have any more numbness or tingling in my hands, I have been working with my massage therapist exclusively and she has done wonders, she thinks its a trigger in my neck, so we are going to start maintenance work every few weeks on my neck to make sure the symptoms stay away. She suggested that I might try and get a microfoam pillow to help with my neck--do you know a good brand, I have had my main pillow for years and its hard to part with, but I'm willing to try a new pillow, any suggestions? Thanks for all your help and tips--they help tremendously!"

I LOVE it that she took action and is doing so well!

Here's my response:

"Tempurpedic makes a memory foam pillow that

Carpal Tunnel Surgery vs. Natural Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief

Should you have surgery for your carpal tunnel symptoms or should you try all of the natural ways to relieve your symptoms first?

My recommendation is always to try the least invasive thing first.  None of the natural methods of symptom relief cause permanent changes in your body.  Surgery does.

Today I received two e-mails from women who had carpal tunnel symptoms.

The first woman said:

"It seems nothing is helping my carpal tunnel in my hand. I have tried everything and I mean EVERYTHING. It seems the operation is the only answer. Its no good listening to people talk about it, it is a waste of space. Sorry, but honestly the op seems the only way out. I don't know what you think."

I wished her well with her surgery and suggested she continue trying the natural relief methods because if the surgery doesn't work (or continue to work) it's because the actual cause was overlooked.  I also suggested she go to the Video Category here and look for the mini-release surgical video.

The second woman said:

"I do declare my symptoms are diminishing and i don't have any more numbness or

Stretching Your Chest To Relieve Your Carpal Tunnel Symptoms

Stretching your chest muscles is a very good way to begin relieving your carpal tunnel symptoms.  When you stretch and relax your chest and allow your shoulders to drop back, you will experience a lot of other health benefits, too.  "Opening" your chest muscles takes can take pressure of the parts of your body that cause your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Watch the whole video before you begin this movement.  You will discover how to come out of this position at the end.

You can use a rolled up towel as a "roll" and folded towels or small pillows for your head support. 

You may have to start with a smaller roll than the instructor uses.  That's easy to do with a towel:  Simply don't roll the whole towel.

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief & Massage for Your Hands

If you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome--or pain in your hand and wrist--hand massage can help get the circulation moving.  This little video demonstrates how to massage your palm.  It helps relax the tight muscles in your hand and makes a little more space in your carpal tunnel.  This may help you feel better.

(Your carpal tunnel is an opening in your wrist that nerves and blood vessels pass through.  When there is swelling in your carpal tunnel, you can get symptoms of numbness, tingling and pain in your hand.)

You may find that you can massage one of your own hands with your other hand depending on your symptoms.  Adjust the pressure to your comfort level.  If bending your hand backward increases your symptoms, keep your wrist straight as you massage or are being massaged.

Your wrists are not the cause of your symptoms (unless you had a compression or bone-breaking injury.)  Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by the muscles of your lower or upper arm, your chest muscles, your back, your neck muscles, trigger points, or vitamin deficiencies.  You can find more information on all of these here at Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief Now.

Even so, this type of hand massage can help you feel better while you figure out the causes and get rid of them.

Yoga Stretch for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Yoga is very beneficial for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome although there are some movements that could cause your wrists to be aggravated. 

The yoga stretch in this little video is good.  Why?  Because it shows you how to stretch and open the muscles in your chest and the front of your arms.  This takes a lot of pressure off the nerves and blood vessels that cause your carpal tunnel symptoms.

At the same time, this movement can also help you strengthen the muscles in your back.  Having a strong back is very beneficial.

NOTICE:  The model's head is held OVER her body.  She is not allowing it to move forward.  This is good.  You want to do the same--hold your head over your body--so be aware and make corrections.

If this movement seems too much for you at first, don't give up.  Just practice taking your arms as far as it feels like a reasonably comfortable stretch.  In time, your muscles will become able to do this with more comfort.

Help Your Carpal Tunnel Symptoms with Vitamins and Minerals

Carpal Tunnel symptoms happen for reasons.  The reason could be because of muscle strain--muscle overuse, under use or incorrect use.  Or your symptoms could be caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies or "insufficiencies."

A deficiency is more severe but an insufficiency (not enough) can also cause symptoms.  Why?

Because there are nutrients that your body needs.  If your body doesn't get the nutritional things that it requires, you will have one type of disease or another.

Calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron are major minerals that are required for muscle health and function.  If you don't have enough, it increases the irritability of myofascial trigger points. 

Calcium is essential (necessary) to the muscles so they can do their best job.  Magnesium and potassium are also essential because they interact with calcium and are related to muscle health and contraction.

All of the parts of your body work together.  So do all the vitamins.  So do all the minerals.

If you take calcium, but don't take

Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Caused by Lack of Calcium or Vitamin D?

Does lack of calcium cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?  I was asked this very good question by a reader.

I wasn't aware that a lack of calcium can specifically cause CTS.  But I did know that many minerals work together with calcium; it's not only calcium that we need. 

According to Drs. Travell and Simons MD's, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction, The Trigger Point Manual, Vol. 1, Second Edition, "Several minerals, especially iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, are needed for normal muscle function."

So if you want to help your carpal tunnel symptoms heal and your muscles to function normally, give them what they need.  You have a smart body but it needs a little help from you to get better.

If you have a deficiency in calcium, you can only correct it by

Carpal Tunnel Pain Improves With Stretching!

Your body was designed to function best when you do certain things.  When you do those things--like stretching--you can start to get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Readers often write just to let me know they're doing better.  And sometimes they have questions.  Either way, I love getting questions and comments.  It helps me do my job better.

My job is (1) to help you understand how your body works and (2) to provide you with self-help information you can use to get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms naturally. 

Here's a nice e-mail I received.  I wrote a nice e-mail back.  You'll see it below.

Thank you so much for all the information you sent me on carpal tunnel. You have been a great help!  I have been doing some stretching and i have noticed a bit of relief..i haven't yet read everything you sent me as i am a very busy grandmother and lately i don't get much time to myself,but i do try and read a bit every day.Through your information i am understanding a lot more, i was in so much pain lately that i thought surgery was my only option.
I have a lot of pain in my upper back,neck as well as in my lower back and down the side of my legs almost like a pulling pain.
Realizing now how much its all connected and how stretching relieves the pain,i will try and keep up the stretching.
Thank you so much again, you were like an answer to my prayer...

Don't you love it?  She took action!  I'm always so proud of someone when I know