Home Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Home remedies for carpal tunnel syndrome include less exposure of hand to tool handling, cutting device and other remedies like hand exercise, ice pack, hot treatment, castor oil pack, acupuncture, gripping pen, vitamin B6 diet, consumption of turmeric powder and milk, reduction in obesity and avoiding harmful diet as indicated in the article. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a group of conditions that arise due to rise in pressure in the median nerve present in hands that is encased in the carpal tunnel. It usually affects individuals with continued usage of hands, wrists, and arms.
Home remedies for carpal tunnel syndrome are many and are helpful in treating the group of conditions and their symptoms caused by raise in pressure over the median nerve. This nerve is in hand and plays important role in nerve conductions. It provides sensation to the ring, middle, and index fingers and thumb. Carpal tunnel protects the nerve. As per the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, this syndrome affects 23,000 individuals each year. Most of the affected people are cashiers, computer operators, truck drivers and working with hammer.
Factors like, pregnancy, menopause, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, lyme disease, rubella and hypothyroidism may also lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. This leads to numbness, weakness, and a tingling sensation in fingers and thumb. Gripping of hands while holding or squeezing faces reduction. As the conditions worsen, sensitivity of hands is permanently lost. Pain shoots up in arms thereby affecting whole hand.
A number of factors result in the syndrome. The main cause is the increase in pressure over the median nerve. Carpel tunnel that surrounds the nerve has no space for expansion and thus, any swelling in the same leads to pressure around the median nerve and occurrence of syndrome. Stretching or repeated movements around the wrist that causes pressure build up around the nerve also lead to carpel tunnel syndrome. Kidney failure leads to accumulation of fluid in carpel tunnel. Repeated use of tendons of hand may also lead to carpel tunnel syndrome. An obese individual or those born with arrow carpel tunnel also suffer from the syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms:
• Tingling specially at the night hours causing disturbance while sleeping
• Loss of grip and strength in hands while holding or squeezing
• Weakness and numbness are felt in hands and wrists
• Wasting of thumb muscles
• Manual tasks to be performed by hands become difficult as there is loss of coordination among fingers and thumb
• Conditions worsen when the sensitivity is permanently lost
• Pain shoots up to arms and shoulders too get affected
Following home remedies for carpel tunnel syndrome have been mentioned to prevent or cure it:
• Tool Handling: Usually handling the tools causes undue pressure on the nerves. Thus, either fat or broad diameter tools should be used. According to the Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies, if your tools are not so, wrap a gauze of cotton or some cloth or a rubberized tubing around it in order to make the grip strong and make it easy for handling.
• Cutting Devices: Tools that are to be used for cutting should be as sharp as possible. This lowers the pressure applied on the object to be cut by the median nerve.
• Hand Exercise: If your hands seem to be numb, stop working over keyboards, playing musical instruments or punching cash register keys for a while. Lift your hand and move them in circles gently to restore the circulation of arms, shoulders, and wrists. This brings them back in their original positions, thereby relieving the tension and stress. Moving your neck forward and backward may also help.
• Ice Pack: If the wrist aches, an ice pack should be applied. This reduces the pain and gives relief.
• Hot Treatment: If ice is not available, hot water should be used. A cotton cloth or heating pad soaked in this hot water must be dipped and applied to the affected region.
• Castor Oil Pack: Take a cloth to cover hands, spread it and apply a layer of castor oil over it. Apply it over the sensitive area and keep it for an hour. This has been found to be an effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Acupuncture: As per the National Institute of Health, carpal tunnel syndrome can be cured by performing acupuncture regularly. This practice often aims at targeting organs like liver, kidney, and gall bladder, thereby reducing the pressure over the median nerve.
• Gripping Pen: One should be extremely careful while writing. Pen should not be held too tightly as it causes pressure on the nerve, thereby affecting them.
• Vitamin B6 Diet: One should consume more of vitamin B6 food items like sea vegetables, whole grains, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. This prevents carpal tunnel syndrome. Packaged food must be strictly avoided as these contain compounds that interfere with vitamin B6 uptake.
• Turmeric Powder and Milk: It is advised to take a glassful of milk with half teaspoon of turmeric powder at night. This gives relief to internal pain and wounds.
• Reduce Obesity: Obese individuals must loose there weight to some extent. They should also perform exercises aimed at stretching of fingers and hands. This will improve their grip and provide flexibility.
• Harmful Food: According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, refined foods like pasta, meat, cakes, French fries, donuts, stimulants like coffee, tobacco and alcohol and food allergens like milk, cream, soy and corn should be avoided as far as possible.
References: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies, National Institute of Health, University of Maryland Medical Center
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