Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Home Remedies

Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs if you are in a job where you use your wrists a lot. Whether you are clicking a mouse all day on the computer, punching cash register keys, gripping stings on a musical instrument or any other job that requires you to use your wrists a lot, you may experience carpal tunnel syndrome. The symptoms are numbness and tingling in your wrist and fingers and pain in your wrist. In severe cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, pain may shoot from your wrist straight up to your arm and shoulder and your thumb strength may waste away.

My mom has the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and has lost all strength in her right thumb. She has trouble opening a car door and sometimes has trouble using the mouse on her computer. She has never been to a doctor about it so I thought I would do this article for her so she can know the home remedies that are available to her since she doesn't have health insurance. I also have the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome so researching this article is helping me too.

For most people, preventing carpal syndrome before it gets too bad is better than the alternative, surgery. My moms friend had surgery to correct her problems with carpal tunnel syndrome and she says it made it worse instead of better. Prevention is the key and even if you are in the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome, you can do something about it now before it gets worse.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Stay in Shape

You will be less likely to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome if you stay in shape. You need to keep your body's circulatory system working well by eating right and exercising properly. You also need to quit smoking if you do smoke because smoking causes problems with your circulatory system.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Keep Your Wrist Safe at Night

Most people have problems with the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome at night because they sleep with their wrist tucked under their head or their pillow. If you do this, the pain from carpal tunnel syndrome may keep you up at night. Try settling down for the night with your wrist laying flat on the mattress or if you have problems doing that, ask your doctor for a splint.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Lose Weight

Extra weight can compress the median nerve in your wrist, therefore making the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome worse. If you are carrying a little extra weight, watch what you eat and exercise to help lose that extra weight.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Take a break

If you work with your wrists a lot, take mini breaks to relieve the tiredness of your wrist. Fatigue and tiredness in your joints and muscles is a sign to take a break and change positions if you have to. If you don't take little breaks, the carpal tunnel syndrome may get worse and can cause you to not be able to work for a while.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Keep it Level

If you work with a computer, make sure it is at eye level. Also, make sure your keyboard and mouse are where you can reach them without straining or bending your wrists too much. Your keyboard and mouse should be at elbow level. To make sure it is at the right level, place your arms down on your desk and if you can reach your keyboard with your arms straight, then it is fine.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Use the Right Grip

If you are trying to open a jar, use the palm of your hand instead of gripping it with your thumbs. Doing this will take the pressure off of your wrist and thumbs and will help prevent and relieve the pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Take Some Pressure Off

If you use a keyboard often, you may rest your wrists on the edge of the desk. This causes extra pressure on the wrists and can be bad for carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers'. Adjust your work station if you need to and keep your wrists straight and off the edge of the desk.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Alternate Between Hands

Take pressure off of your dominate hand every once in a while by doing tasks with your other hand.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Use Aids

If your job requires you to be on the computer all day clicking a mouse and typing on a keyboard, use a wrist rest to rest your wrist on. This can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome or relieve it if you are in the early stages. If your job requires other work, talk to your boss about some kind of aid to help keep the pressure off of your wrist, if possible.

Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Use Ice

If you already have carpal tunnel syndrome, place an ice pack or a pack of frozen veggies on your wrist for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, two or three times a day to reduce inflammation and swelling.

These are just some of the home remedies you can use to help relieve and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. For wrist exercises to help relieve carpal tunnel syndrome, check out the websites below.

Sources:

The Doctors Book of Home Remedies
Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome