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Carpal Tunnel syndrome can make the muscles in your hand weak or numb. It can sometimes be a painful condition. It happens when a nerve in the wrist becomes pinched or pressurized. As the carpal bone in the wrist narrows, it causes swelling that places pressure on the nerve. Typically, it affects the thumb, index, and ring finger.
If you feel numbness, tingling, wrist or hand weakness, difficulty using your hand, or pain, you might have carpal tunnel syndrome. The best way to get diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome is to call your doctor. They’ll perform a series of tests to determine what’s causing you to feel these symptoms. Once you’re diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, you can start looking at your treatment options.
Treatment options can include, CarpalAID, surgery, cortisone injections, or wearing a wrist splint. Here are all the ways you can relieve your pain due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Take over the counter pain meds for Carpal Tunnel
Your local pharmacy will have lots of options for pain relief medicine. Look for anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen or Advil. These kinds of meds will reduce the swelling in your wrist that’s putting pressure on the nerve that’s causing you pain. A lot of people have great success using over-the-counter meds to relieve their pain.
If you’re taking any other medication, chat with your doctor or pharmacist about the possible drug interaction between your medications. For most of these anti-inflammatory medications, it’s recommended to have a snack or meal with it to avoid nausea. Aspirin is another great medication that will help you find pain relief.
Wear a wrist splint
This doubles as a possible treatment option and pain reliever for your carpal tunnel syndrome. Flexing your wrist, especially at night when you may not know you’re doing it, can make your pain worse by overextending the muscles in your wrist.
A wrist splint keeps your muscles and ligaments aligned when you’re tempted to use your wrist more than you should. A wrist splint allows your wrist to relax and take a break. This can help ease inflammation and cut down on your pain.
Make a few adjustments to your work environment
You can make simple adjustments to your daily life that will help ease your pain. By making your work and living space more ergonomically friendly, you can help relieve some of that pressure on the nerves that are causing you pain. You can try changing the height of your chair, take frequent breaks from writing or typing, try different wrist and hand positions while working, and move your computer layout around.
This is something that won’t just reduce your pain, but it will ensure that you’re not making your carpal tunnel syndrome worse than it already is. By making sure you’re changing your habits for the better, you can prevent more issues from occurring.
Ice your wrist
Icing your hand can help relieve pain in a temporary manner. It helps decrease swelling and inflammation levels in your affected wrist. Try icing your wrist in ice water for 10 or 15 minutes every few hours. It might bring you some relief while you’re waiting for a more permanent solution.
Add some heat
Sometimes the heat can help bring your wrist some relief. Try soaking your hand and wrist in hot water throughout the day. Exercise your wrist and fingers by flexing your wrist. You can do this several times throughout the day.
By heating your wrist and hands, you’ll be increasing the blow flow to that painful area. Your blood vessels will go into a state of relaxation as well. This will help heal the muscles in your wrist fast and help with short-term pain.
Cortisone shot
This is a possible great option for those looking for relief of pain. A cortisone shot injects a type of anti-inflammatory drug directly into your wrist. This can reduce any swelling or inflammation you’re experiencing in your wrist or hand that’s causing you pain.
A cortisone shot doesn’t last forever. Most patients start experiencing symptoms after a few months so you’ll eventually need the treatment again. If you don’t mind returning to the hospital for the injection, this might be a great treatment option and pain relief for you. Click here to learn more about cortisone shots.
If all this doesn’t work
If none of these methods relieve your pain, talk to your doctor immediately. You shouldn’t have to go through pain alone or longer than you have to. There are more aggressive treatment options for your carpal tunnel, such as surgery.
Carpal Tunnel surgery is an outpatient procedure so you won’t have to stay at the hospital overnight. It’s also done under local anesthesia so you’ll be awake for it too. Most patients feel relief after 72 hours or less and your recovery time can be as little as six weeks depending on the severity of your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It’s said to be 90% successful in relieving patient pain, so if noninvasive procedures and treatment don’t work, then it’s safe to say that surgery might be your next best bet.
Follow the link to learn more about the surgery options available for those who are suffering from carple Tunnel syndrome https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/carpal-tunnel/do-i-need-carpal-tunnel-surgery
Physical or occupational therapy can help your recovery as well. It can help strengthen the muscles in your hand and show you knew ways to use it so you don’t develop a carpal tunnel in your wrist again.
The good news is that Carpal Tunnel syndrome can be prevented
Well, mostly. There are a lot of different reasons why someone develops carpal tunnel syndrome so it can be hard to determine the best way to prevent it. Here are some tips anyway to try to keep you from developing this painful syndrome in your wrist.
Take breaks from repetitive activities such as writing or typing. This will give the tendons in your wrist a break and prevent swelling. Try to keep your wrist straight while using your computer or while you sleep. Curling your wrist too much can cause it to overextend. Lastly, try stretching your wrists out before you type, write, or do anything too repetitive.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can make it very challenging to live your life normally. It can cause pain and immobility in your wrist and hand. This can make simple everyday tasks like working or typing challenging for the individual.
Talk to your doctor about managing your symptoms and relieving some of the pain you experience. Try some of these methods to see if your carpal tunnel can be managed by non-invasive procedures. If you find that you’re still in too much pain, ask your doctor about surgery options.
Isreal olabanji a dental assistant and public health professionals and has years of experience in assisting the dentist with all sorts of dental issues.
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