Hand/Wrist-Carpal Tunnel Syndrome management and home remedies
These steps may provide temporary symptom relief:
- Take short breaks from repetitive activities involving the use of your hands.
- Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
- Rotate your wrists and stretch your palms and fingers.
- Take a pain reliever, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve).
- Wear a snug, not tight, wrist splint at night. You can find these over-the-counter at most drugstores or pharmacies.
- Avoid sleeping on your hands.
Prevention
There are no proven strategies to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, but you can minimize stress on your hands and wrists with these methods:
- Reduce your force and relax your grip. If your work involves a cash register or keyboard, for instance, hit the keys softly. For prolonged handwriting, use a big pen with an oversized, soft grip adapter and free-flowing ink.
- Take frequent breaks. Gently stretch and bend hands and wrists periodically. Alternate tasks when possible. This is especially important if you use equipment that vibrates or that requires you to exert a great amount of force.
- Watch your form. Avoid bending your wrist all the way up or down. A relaxed middle position is best. Keep your keyboard at elbow height or slightly lower.
- Improve your posture. Incorrect posture rolls shoulders forward, shortening your neck and shoulder muscles and compressing nerves in your neck. This can affect your wrists, fingers and hands.
- Change your computer mouse. Make sure that your computer mouse is comfortable and doesn’t strain your wrist.
- Keep your hands warm. You’re more likely to develop hand pain and stiffness if you work in a cold environment. If you can’t control the temperature at work, put on fingerless gloves that keep your hands and wrists warm.
If pain, numbness or weakness recurs and persists, see
Dr. Paul Shuler, FAAOS, FAANA Provident Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center 801 Marshall Farms Road Ocoee, Fl 34761 407-906-3621