Non-surgical Carpal Tunnel Treatments

From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist

Most Effective Carpal Tunnel Treatments Without Surgery

There are highly effective carpal tunnel treatments available without the need for surgery. The best treatment is actually a combination of 4 separate techniques which are used simultaneously. They're scientifically proven to bring lasting relief from carpal tunnel syndrome. This article describes those techniques in detail.


Who needs carpal tunnel syndrome treatments?

People looking for effective carpal tunnel treatments have one thing in common. That is, they tend to have occupations that require a lot of hand activity. Sure, if they quit their jobs then chances are good their carpal tunnel symptoms will disappear.


But most people can't simply quit their jobs. However, there ARE reliable and effective ways to relieve symptoms without impacting your job or even having carpal tunnel surgery.

Hairdresser

Most jobs depend on manual work of some kind. Specifically, rapid, repetitive and forceful hand motions are directly linked to carpal tunnel syndrome. If those motions also involve extensive "grip-and-release" activity, then it's a sure recipe for seeing signs of carpal tunnel syndrome.


Over the past two decades, numerous studies have shown that certain high risk jobs share similar rapid, repetitive and forceful hand activities. And that's why they're strongly associated with getting carpal tunnel syndrome. 

man thinking deeply

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the occupations at highest risk for getting carpal tunnel syndrome include: 

 

poor posture

Another factor CDC points out is that not only does rapid and forceful hand activity cause problems, but so does your posture. Poor posture can lead to undue stress on the arms and hands while they're also going through rapid, repetitive and forceful motions.


The poor posture causes imbalance in the upper body structural frame. The imbalance is transmitted by muscles and ligaments down the arm and into the hand. Whatever was at issue in the hand before (like the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome) is now amplified by the unbalanced forces.


If workers don't address this, they will never get effective relief from their carpal tunnel treatments. Therefore, whether or not you work in any of these professions, pay close attention to your sitting or standing posture. This is discussed in detail below.

carpal tunnel space

How carpal tunnel happens

Doctors and scientists understand a great deal about the condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. At it's core, the disorder happens due to problems with the arm's flexor tendons. These are the ropy structures running from the forearm to the fingertips, on the palm side. They're responsible for flexing (curling) your fingers. 


Normally, the tendons glide effortlessly next to each other. But when you perform rapid finger movements, especially repetitively and forcefully, the tendons can become “sticky” due to mechanical stress. That means they don’t glide next to each other as well. 


As a result, with time adhesions begin to form around the stressed tendons. The adhesions undergo repeated cycles of stress, rupture, and subsequent repair. The rupture and repair process happens over and over, sometimes for several years. Eventually that cycling causes the tendons to inflame and swell. 

pins & needles

Normally, tendon inflammation is not such a big problem. If your tendons become inflamed in the middle of your forearm, for example, they might feel sore or tender for a while. (This is commonly called tendonitis.) There’s plenty of room for tendons to swell and then calm down with simple rest. 


However, if the swelling happens inside the wrist joint, in the carpal tunnel space, the problem is much more complicated. Running directly adjacent to the tendons (inside this tight space) lies the median nerve. It controls sensations in the hand and fingers. If tendons swell inside this confinement, they have no place to swell, except against the median nerve. 


As a result, the nerve gets compressed and ultimately crushed. And that’s what causes all of the signs of carpal tunnel syndrome like pain, numbness, tingling (pins & needles), burning, and soreness in the hand and fingers. 


With even more swelling, patients lose pinch and grip strength. Then their thumb muscle starts to degenerate. This makes curling the thumb (to grip) nearly impossible.


So before all this happens, be sure to use effective carpal tunnel treatments to stop the problem immediately.

grip strength

Combine these 4 carpal tunnel treatments

If carpal tunnel symptoms are not very intense, it's relatively easy to get relief. This is the mild stage  of the disorder, when symptoms resolve fast and complete. But if you have allowed symptoms to progress to the moderate or severe stage of carpal tunnel, treatments must be more extensive. 


It's worth noting that if you don't begin carpal tunnel treatments NOW then symptoms will likely worsen. Carpal tunnel is a progressive disorder. So treating immediately will  avoid much bigger problems later on. 

TREATMENT STEP 1: Assess & Modify Your Activity

good sitting posture

We already established the main reason people get carpal tunnel syndrome is because of their job. Therefore, all effective carpal tunnel treatments begin by recognizing this fact. So while it sounds simple, you should analyze the hand and finger movements you make on the job and minimize them. 


Can you stop or cut down on some or all of them? Can you do the same things without so many movements? Only you can determine what’s best for your situation and make the proper adjustments. 


For example, perhaps an ergonomic mouse or keyboard will reduce arm stress. While typing, notice how your hands converge toward your body's midline using a regular keyboard. This produces stresses from the shoulders to the hand. To compensate, you must bend your wrist sideways to align your fingers with the keys. But a split keyboard requires no such wrist twisting, and is a great carpal tunnel fighter.


Finally, pay close attention to your posture. Make sure your posture is comfortable and not stressing your shoulder, arm or wrist joints. Slouching or hunching absolutely invite carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, effective relief will only come about if you recognize this AND take steps to address it. 

TREATMENT STEP 2: Night Bracing

carpal tunnel treatment

When we sleep, we unconsciously bend our hands forward and backward. In doing so, it creates tremendous stress inside our wrist joint. Normally, this isn’t such a problem. But if you already have the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome, then it’s like lighting a fuse. 


The carpal tunnel space is already under pressure from swollen tendons. Now, with added pressure from unconscious bending, the interior of the wrist joint becomes like a shaken soda can. The high pressure amplifies the problem and makes symptoms worse.


A nigh brace is one of the simplest and most effective carpal tunnel treatments becasue it counteracts that problem. The brace will hold your hand in a neutral (flat) position and keep it from bending. But it’s important to use the proper kind of night brace to avoid additional harm to your wrist. 


Ordinary generic braces (commonly sold in Walmart, CVS and Walgreens) are not designed for this, even though the label may say “for carpal tunnel syndrome”. The se braces have a palmar spine which worsens the pressure inside the wrist. Instead, look for a certified carpal tunnel brace that has no such spine.

TREATMENT STEP 3: Stretching Exercises

palm stretch

Stretching exercises are necessary in order to achieve good symptoms relief, especially before symptoms get worse. The best carpal tunnel stretches are actually fast and easy to do. For every half hour of hand activity, take a 30 second break to rest and stretch both hands and fingers – really, only 30 seconds! 


This is the easiest of the carpal tunnel treatments, and takes almost no time out of your day. But that small intermission will make a huge difference and even reverse carpal tunnel symptoms.  

One of the very best stretches is called the "palm stretch". Simply interlock your fingers and push both palms outward and away from you. Hold it for 5 seconds and then do it again. Make sure your thumb gets a stretch too. You can do that by just pulling it out and back, and then hold it for 5 seconds. 


Finally, drop both hands and shake them out for 5 seconds until you feel them warm up. That means blood is flowing through your hands and it's driving excess fluid out. (Both of those are key to seeing effective carpal tunnel relief.) Stretching is one of the best carpal tunnel treatments to both stop and reverse symptoms.


Do these 30 second stretches for every half hour of hand activity you do. Click here for more details about how to perform the most effective carpal tunnel stretches.

TREATMENT STEP 4: Myofascial Release Massage

myofascial release massage

Those with more advanced carpal tunnel symptoms must absolutely use massage. This is one of the most powerful and effective carpal tunnel treatments you can implement. It will definitely relieve symptoms, but it has to be performed properly.


Use the myofascial release massage technique for best results. That means you should massage the forearm just below the wrist, two to three times daily. Spend 4-5 minutes pushing, kneading and twisting the skin and underlying tissues. 


Myofascial release massage requires a kneading motion with both thumbs. Obviously, you cannot do this on yourself. But a willing and able partner can learn the technique quickly. This will help you enormously.


Therapists use myofascial release massage every day for their carpal tunnel patients. It works amazingly well, especially if you have severe symptoms. If symptoms are only mild or moderate, it’s a great way to get carpal tunnel under control fast, before it gets worse. Click here to see how to perform myofascial release massage.

Conclusion

The best non-surgical carpal tunnel treatments are actually a combination of 4 separate and powerful carpal tunnel fighters. The combination consists of 1) workplace changes, 2) night bracing, 3) stretching exercises, and 4) myofascial release massage. All 4 techniques must be implemented simultaneously for best results.