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Vitamin B & Carpal Tunnel

Dr. Z • Apr 17, 2020

Vitamin B: Carpal Tunnel Cure or Quackery?

If you're taking supplements like vitamin B, carpal tunnel syndrome may still be a problem for you. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that vitamins B helps ease carpal tunnel symptoms at all. In fact, there's no evidence that any vitamin has an effect on this painful neurological condition. 


What is vitamin B?

The term “vitamin B” refers to a class of vitamins called the B vitamins. Long ago, scientists thought they were one single nutrient. However, analysis over the years revealed different chemicals within the B structure. 


In general, all of the B vitamins occur in the same foods. All are water-soluble and play key metabolic roles in the cell. 


Today, we call them B vitamins because there are eight distinct chemicals among them. Actually, they are chemically very different from each other. 

carpel tunnel syndrome

As a rule, dietary supplements containing all eight are called a “vitamin B complex”. However, most people simply refer to the entire group as “vitamin B”.


The common names of the 8 individual B vitamins are:

 

  1. Thiamine: Vitamin B1
  2. Riboflavin: Vitamin B2
  3. Niacin: Vitamin B3
  4. Pantothenic acid: Vitamin B5
  5. Pyridoxine: Vitamin B6
  6. Biotin: Vitamin B7
  7. Folate: Vitamin B9
  8. Cobalamin: Vitamin B12

 

What B vitamins do

The B vitamins have various functions throughout the body. Some of the more important functions are in energy metabolism. Also, they play vital roles in making DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. In addition, B vitamins are essential to make red blood cells, hemoglobin, and to fight heart disease. 


Some of the B vitamins partner with other chemicals to make chemical processes work more efficiently. That means most play a key role in energy metabolism.

Vitamin B Benefits

Why vitamin B for carpal tunnel is so popular

The relationship between vitamin B & carpal tunnel syndrome has been in the popular culture for years. When we talk about the B vitamins, carpal tunnel syndrome is most linked to vitamins B6 and B12. In fact, it’s normal for many patients to treat their symptoms with vitamin B6 or B12 on their own.


However, the effectiveness of B vitamins on carpal tunnel is controversial because no credible study has ever proven it.


Most of the reasoning for taking these vitamins to treat carpal tunnel comes from one simple observation. That is, a lack of vitamin B6 or B12 causes symptoms similar to carpal tunnel. For instance, tingling or pins-and-needles in the extremities (like the fingers and hand) are a common sign of vitamin B deficiency.


In a recent report, a 39 year old man following a vegan lifestyle became very ill. His arms became numb and he had trouble speaking, in addition to blurred vision. It turns out his vitamin B12 levels were so low that they could not be detected.


Numbness and tingling is such instances are actually signs of a peripheral neuropathy caused by vitamin deficiency. But it's not due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Since those sensations are also what patients feel with carpal tunnel syndrome, the false association between carpal tunnel and vitamin B is easy to understand.


By extension, people assume that vitamin B6 and B12 deficiency could trigger carpal tunnel syndrome. So it seems logical that supplementing with these vitamins could help relieve their symptoms. 


For patients with peripheral neuropathy other than carpal tunnel, vitamin B complex supplements can indeed relieve some symptoms. However, it the symptoms are due to carpal tunnel syndrome, the supplements have no effect.


Extensive research has been performed over the past two decades to look closely at this relationship. But unfortunately, regarding a carpal treatment, no valid scientific study has ever verified using vitamin B: carpal tunnel syndrome must be treated using other remedies.

B vitamins

Can you overdose on vitamin B?

The National Institutes of Health's vitamin B12 recommendations say the adult dose of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms per day. However, the NIH did not establish the upper tolerable levels for vitamin B12 supplementation. Thus, no one knows for sure if high doses are harmful.

 

On the other hand, vitamin B6 can be particularly dangerous in high doses. 


The adult dose of vitamin B6 is 1.7mg per day. Taking more than 200mg of B6 daily can cause nerve damage in your arms and legs. The damage is reversible when you stop taking the supplement. The National Institute of Health's vitamin B6 recommendations say the adult safe upper limit of vitamin B6 is 100mg per day.

Summary

Vitamin B & carpal tunnel syndrome have been linked for decades. But vitamin B has never been scientifically verified as a carpal tunnel therapy. In fact, every credible scientific study performed shows there is no benefit to taking any vitamin supplements for carpal tunnel. In spite of the data, many people still believe taking vitamin B6 or B12 will help ease the symptoms of this painful condition.
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