What Helps With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome deprives sleep and can become chronic if left untreated, which is why you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can only be cured by a doctor or surgery, and without such a measure it becomes chronic. Do not hesitate too long with your symptoms and consult a doctor if you have carpal tunnel syndrome . We’ll explain why.

Carpal tunnel syndrome hurts at night

A major symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome is nighttime discomfort when your wrists are at rest.

So if your wrist hurts at night in peace, then you can rule out the “mouse arm” or “tennis elbow” and should see a doctor about a carpal tunnel syndrome.

In carpal tunnel syndrome , the nerves in the hand area are damaged and cause abnormal sensations and pain. The carpal tunnel itself is the space between the carpal bones and the carpal ligament.

Important tendons and nerves run through the carpal tunnel in the carpal ligament. The median nerve, which is responsible for controlling the fingers from thumb to middle finger, runs in the carpal ligament.

In carpal tunnel syndrome, this nerve is narrowed and put under pressure. This leads to a restricted function, because if the nerve is disturbed, it can no longer work properly and symptoms arise.

First signs

The carpal tunnel syndrome usually manifests itself with a slight tingling sensation and numbness in the hands. Often these symptoms go away again or they radiate into the arm.

Classically, the complaints are limited to the fingers from the thumb to the middle finger, which then feel like “asleep”.

During activities in which the wrists are bent (talking on the phone, cycling, sleeping …) the symptoms increase, but can usually be reduced again by rubbing the affected areas.

In the later stage, the symptoms appear permanent. You may occasionally feel an electric shock when you access it.

Possible triggers and causes

There is not just one specific cause that leads to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. It is often a combination of several triggers that lead to the discomfort. The most common causes are:

• Swollen tendon sheaths (due to overload, inflammation, rheumatism, metabolic disorders, …)
• Anatomical misalignment of bones, for example the carpal bones
• Poorly healed fractures on the forearm or wrist
• Arthrosis in the wrist

• Dislocations in the area of ​​the forearm and wrist

There are also certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. This includes:

• diabetes
• rheumatism
• pregnancy
• Alcohol abuse
• Hypothyroidism

The work on the computer, the keyboard and the mouse, as well as sport (e.g. cycling) are not seen as a cause. Such loads lead to other complaints, such as tendinitis and the so-called “tennis elbow”, but not to carpal tunnel syndrome!

Do natural remedies help?

As soon as you discover that something is wrong because of tingling sensations or nighttime pain, you should make a doctor’s appointment. Until the appointment is due, you should immobilize the joint with bandages.

In addition to the therapy prescribed by the doctor and to alleviate the symptoms until you visit the doctor, you can consume anti-inflammatory natural remedies :

• ginger
• turmeric
• Rub in with rubbing alcohol
• Cabbage wrap
• Quark wrap

Please note that the treatment should not take place exclusively with it, these natural remedies only support the healing process and serve as first aid until you have the appointment with the doctor.

How is it treated?

If you recognize carpal tunnel syndrome in good time, it may be sufficient to bandage or splint your wrists at night to prevent them from kinking while you sleep. Such a splint can also provide relief during the day.

Additionally, the doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs that must be taken regularly to achieve the desired result. Decongestant or anti-inflammatory injections can also help.

If these methods do not help, the carpal tunnel syndrome must be operated on. The operation is usually performed on an outpatient and minimally invasive basis.

So you can go home quickly and only have a very small incision wound on your wrist.

During an operation, the ligament above the carpal tunnel is split open with an incision so that it still retains its function, but the nerves in the carpal tunnel have more space.

The pressure on the nerve is reduced and it can function properly again.

It is important not to wait too long with this small and usually uncomplicated operation. If the carpal tunnel syndrome continues to scream for too long, muscle wasting can occur in the hand.

It is difficult to rebuild the muscles after a successful operation in order to regain full mobility and strength of the hand.

prevention

In addition to avoiding risk factors such as diabetes and alcohol abuse, there are other simple rules of conduct that can prevent carpal tunnel syndrome:

Make sure that

• Heal tendinitis completely before you put pressure on the area again,
• the handlebars of your bike are correctly adjusted and
• that you sleep in a position in which your wrists are straight and not very angled to rest for hours.

Also, avoid jobs that involve severely bending your wrist. If these are unavoidable, take breaks from work.