Monthly Archives: September 2018

3 Easy Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Relief

3 Easy Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Relief Here are some easy exercises to help relieve pain and other symptoms Posture Adjustment If you are on a computer all day, or if you are engaged in any other repetitive daily activity, consider setting an alarm for every 20 minutes.  This will help remind you to change your posture, perform some stretches, or just take a break.  Keep your head up and your shoulders relaxed, but not slouched.  Maintaining good posture, whether sitting or standing, can help keep symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome at bay.  Prayer Stretch  Put the palms of your hand together, press lightly and hold the pose for 30 seconds.  Take a break for 10 seconds, then repeat up to four times.  In a variation of this pose, you can hold your hands out in front of you as though you were pushing them up against a wall.  Hold for 30 seconds, then shake your hands out. Repeat up to four times. To stretch in the other direction, make your hands into…

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Reduce Your Repetitive Stress Injury Risk

Reduce Your Repetitive Stress Injury Risk Managing repetitive stress injuries often requires some lifestyle changes. It can take time to find a strategy that works best for you. Here are a few minor changes you can implement to minimize stress on your hands and wrists: Alternate Tasks -- avoid doing the same task for more than a couple of hours at a time and alternate between tasks that use different muscle groups where possible. Take a Break -- fatigue is a sign that you need to take a break. Take small breaks to gently stretch and bend your hands and wrists and readjust your position. Reduce Pressure -- many people use more force than needed to perform tasks involving their hands, which can increase pressure and cause irritation. Be mindful of the speed and amount of pressure used to perform tasks. Ease up, slow down and grip using your palm or whole hand to distribute the load. If using tools such as riveters or jackhammers for extended periods, take frequent breaks or operate…

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Study Finds Acupuncture Effective in Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Study Finds Acupuncture Effective in Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Acupuncture is as effective as the corticosteroid, prednisone, for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a 2009 study published in The Clinical Journal of Pain. The randomized, controlled study investigated the efficacy of acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as measured by both nerve conduction studies and symptom assessment surveys. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome were split into two groups. One group received eight sessions of acupuncture treatments over the course of eight weeks. The other group received daily doses of a drug called prednisolone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Evaluations at the end of the second and fourth week revealed that both groups enjoyed a significant reduction in symptoms. However, the acupuncture group received an exceptional benefit that the steroid group did not. At the conclusion of the trial, the patients receiving acupuncture treatments showed a statistically significant drop in their nocturnal awakenings. The researchers…

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Acupuncture: A Viable Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Acupuncture: A Viable Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) are the most common job-related injuries and are responsible for the highest number of days lost. One of the most well-known types of repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) accounts for over two million visits to physicians' offices and approximately 465,000 carpal tunnel release operations each year, making it the most frequent surgery of the hand and wrist. Symptoms of repetitive stress injuries include tightness, stiffness, pain, tingling, numbness, coldness and loss of strength in the arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive stress injury that refers specifically to the inflammation of a specific ligament that puts pressure on the median nerve. Acupuncture is extremely effective for treating repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and often eliminates the need for surgery or the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. In fact, one of the most common reasons that people get acupuncture is for repetitive stress injuries. What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? The carpal tunnel is suitably named as it…

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