If you're working from home, at a desk, or do repetitive movements like texting, hammering, or anything else, you may have experienced pain in your wrist.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can feel like pain, pins & needles, numbness, or weakness in the hands or wrist. There is a narrow passageway, or tunnel, on the palm side of your wrist that can become inflamed and compress the median nerve as it passes through, creating symptoms.
Apart from positional aggravation of the median nerve, carpal tunnel syndrome can also be a result of swelling from pregnancy, or other conditions that lead to holding onto fluids.
There are several solutions, and they work best in conjunction to heal.
1. Consider Position
- keep wrist supported and in neutral position, you may need a brace or apparatus that supports the position of the wrists ergonomically
- visit a chiropractor and other practitioners like an osteopath or physiotherapist to address structural integrity
2. Avoid Repetitive Movements
- texting, typing, and other hand actions can aggravate an inflamed area
- try to rest it by using speech to text, or using your other hand for tasks when possible
3. Anti-inflammatory Diet
- whole foods and a diet rich in vegetables provide nutrients to support healing, and lessen the inflammatory pathways
- focus on green veggies, bright colours, healthy oils, lean meats, fish & flax seed (omega-3s are particularly great for their anti-inflammatory properties)
4. Botanical medicines
- there are several herbs that have an effect on the pain and inflammation pathways
- curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, shows great efficacy for reducing pain mediators
- other botanicals like boswellia, bromelain (from pineapple), and ginger
5. Acupuncture
- acupuncture is wonderful for pain relief and works quickly
- I usually do two treatments close together, then begin to space out sessions as the pain subsides
6. Vitamin B6
- there's good evidence that vitamin B6 is helpful for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, at a typical dose of 250mg per day
Please feel free to forward this along to friends that might be struggling right now! Pain can be aggravating to mental state and impact daily enjoyment so it's best to shift the balance as soon as possible by having your practitioners strategize your best course.
Yours in health,
Dr. Christa
Carpal tunnel syndrome can feel like pain, pins & needles, numbness, or weakness in the hands or wrist. There is a narrow passageway, or tunnel, on the palm side of your wrist that can become inflamed and compress the median nerve as it passes through, creating symptoms.
Apart from positional aggravation of the median nerve, carpal tunnel syndrome can also be a result of swelling from pregnancy, or other conditions that lead to holding onto fluids.
There are several solutions, and they work best in conjunction to heal.
1. Consider Position
- keep wrist supported and in neutral position, you may need a brace or apparatus that supports the position of the wrists ergonomically
- visit a chiropractor and other practitioners like an osteopath or physiotherapist to address structural integrity
2. Avoid Repetitive Movements
- texting, typing, and other hand actions can aggravate an inflamed area
- try to rest it by using speech to text, or using your other hand for tasks when possible
3. Anti-inflammatory Diet
- whole foods and a diet rich in vegetables provide nutrients to support healing, and lessen the inflammatory pathways
- focus on green veggies, bright colours, healthy oils, lean meats, fish & flax seed (omega-3s are particularly great for their anti-inflammatory properties)
4. Botanical medicines
- there are several herbs that have an effect on the pain and inflammation pathways
- curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, shows great efficacy for reducing pain mediators
- other botanicals like boswellia, bromelain (from pineapple), and ginger
5. Acupuncture
- acupuncture is wonderful for pain relief and works quickly
- I usually do two treatments close together, then begin to space out sessions as the pain subsides
6. Vitamin B6
- there's good evidence that vitamin B6 is helpful for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, at a typical dose of 250mg per day
Please feel free to forward this along to friends that might be struggling right now! Pain can be aggravating to mental state and impact daily enjoyment so it's best to shift the balance as soon as possible by having your practitioners strategize your best course.
Yours in health,
Dr. Christa
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