Suffering from carpal tunnel pain can be so consistent that it is really over taking all of your every day life activities that you used to be able to do with ease, and now it is becoming harder to find comfort from the pain. In this article we will discuss some ways to attempt to ease and manage the pain until you can seek medical help for the problem. Most people prefer methods that do not require taking medication and we will discuss those.
To help ease the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, you may want to put ice on your wrist or soak it in an ice bath. Try it for 10 to 15 minutes, once or twice an hour. You can also gently shake your wrist or hang it over the side of your bed for pain that wakes you up at night. Here are 8 ways to find relief for that nighttime pain from carpal tunnel pain that is keeping you awake.
- Avoid bending your arms while you sleep.
- Wear a Night Wrist Splint.
- Support your Arms.
- Keep Hands Warm.
- Avoid Sleeping on Your Side.
- Shake Out Your Hands.
- Apply Pressure to Wrists.
- Take OTC Anti- Inflammatory.
Carpal Tunnel does hurt badly when it goes without exercise and proper treatment. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel. When the synovium swells, it takes up space in the carpal tunnel and, over time, crowds the nerve. This abnormal pressure on the nerve can result in pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand. Usually, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms are worst at night due to tissue fluid in the arms being redistributed when there is no active muscle pump. In other words, we aren’t moving when we try to sleep and increased fluid leads to increased carpal tunnel pressure, causing symptoms to appear.
Often times you will see that people have their wrist in a bandage when they are suffering from carpal tunnel. There is good reason for that, and simple reason is because it works! If you sprain your wrist, it’s advisable to wrap it as soon as possible; this stabilizes the joint and facilitates recovery. Wrapping is also one of the more effective remedies for carpal tunnel pain, as well as inflammation and other hand related injuries. You may be wondering the proper way to wrap your wrist if you need to do so, start by wrapping your wrist in the palm, place one end of the bandage in the palm of your injured wrist, making sure that the Velcro’s rough edge is facing up, so that it doesn’t irritate your skin while you’re wearing the bandage. Wrap around the palm, including the thumb or not, depending on the injury. Your injury may be wrapped in an elastic bandage. This is to help decrease swelling and pain. Remove the bandage before sleeping, unless it’s used to keep your splint in place. It is very important to remember NEVER LEAVE AN ELASTIC BANDAGE ON OVERNIGHT. Elevation by raising the injured area above the level of the heart also assists in reducing swelling often associated with injury. A compression bandage generally should be used for only 24 to 48 hours after an injury.
If you are using an ace bandage here is what you need to apply it to your injury correctly without causing any more unwanted issues. Start the ace bandage at the outer aspect of the wrist, wrap around once, and go over the back of the hand and cross the palm. Pull the bandage diagonally as you cross the hand. Pull through between the thumb and index finger. The bandage should be snug, but it should not cut off circulation. Check your toes (if the bandage is wrapped around your foot or ankle) or fingers (if it’s around your wrist). If they become purplish or blue, cool to the touch, or numb or tingly, the wrap is too tight and should be loosened. Many tend to ask why compression helps with these types of injuries, Compression is a technique used to increase blood circulation in the body--specifically the blood flowing from your extremities back to your heart to be oxygenized. Compression brands claim that compression wear improves blood circulation meaning more oxygen delivery to muscles resulting in increased performance. Some have tried to use splints, A wrist brace for carpal tunnel is one of the best ways you can treat this disorder. But wearing the correct brace at the proper time is crucial. Not doing so can be harmful, and actually make your symptoms worse.
From inception, our focus at Elite Carpal Tunnel Center has been on putting customer convenience first, shattering old expectations, and doing things better. This starts by making the whole carpal tunnel treatment path more efficient and convenient. Check us out and contact us today if you are in the Utah area. We look forward to helping you with moving forward from carpal tunnel.