Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | What Are The Treatment Options?

Carpal tunnel Syndrome occurs in 2.7% of the Australian population with it being more common in women than men. The average age of people who have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is from the age of 40-50 years.

Risk Factors For Carpal Tunnel syndrome Include:

• Menopause
• Wrist trauma or injury
• Small carpal tunnel
• Hereditary
• Overuse
• Rheumatoid arthritis & other joint related issues.
• Older age.

If you have the carpal tunnel syndrome, it may look like that surgery is the only solution. But what if we tell you that there are a few different treatment options you could take to postpone the surgery and continue having a good quality of life.

1. It’s good to give your wrists some rest once in a while

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an outcome of excessive write motion, so just giving some rest to your wrists would do the magic. Try to keep your wrists in a neutral position as much as you can.

2. Switch to ergonomic workstation

Even though there's no definitive evidence to suggest that repetitive wrist motion is one of the reasons for carpal tunnel syndrome, but it can certainly raise the stakes. To avoid stressing your wrists, try to keep your wrists straight which you could do by placing your keyboard and mouse at the right height.

3. Elevate your hands during sleep

Rest your hands on pillows while sleeping on your back. This could be done by propping your wrists on the pillows. This really helps, try it.

4. Ice therapy works

If you want to reduce the inflammation resulting from carpal tunnel syndrome, try icing the wrists. The cold therapy session could last 10-15 minutes, so remember to use some towels to protect your skin.

5. Use a wrist brace

Using a wrist brace will stabilize the wrist and reduce carpal tunnel pain. There are different types of braces available so try the ones that are structured and firm and will immobilize the wrists. Consult with your Doctor or Physiotherapist.

6. Do wrist exercises

Do you know that there are a dozen different wrist exercises that you could try, why not check out this blog of ours [add a link to the wrist exercises blog] on wrist exercises?

7. Try NSAID medication

You could try naproxen or ibuprofen as anti-inflammatory pain medications are very effective to reduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

8. Keep your hands warm

Cold conditions could cause stiffness and aggrandize the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. If you have to work in a cold environment, better get some fingerless gloves on.

9. Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist

Getting professional help is always a safe bet when you have carpal tunnel syndrome. Your physician could recommend you different nonsurgical treatments like oral corticosteroids or cortisone injections in the carpal tunnel.

Additional & Specific Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises

These aforementioned self-care techniques are tried and tested, and they do bring relief. But also remember that having a surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is another successful way to fix the pain

If you think you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome or having experienced no relief from the exercises and  treatment strategies outlined in our article, we recommend that you consult your local Physio Inq Physiotherapist today

This article was originally written by Physio Inq