Carpal tunnel is a common musculoskeletal ailment, affecting several Canadians each year. While most patients who experience this condition are prescribed medication and rest, in more severe cases, surgery may be recommended.
Fortunately, carpal tunnel syndrome is a manageable condition and with proper care and precautionary methods, you can prevent the symptoms from worsening. In fact, if you follow the following tips & tricks, you won’t need to get surgery at all!
Apply Cold Therapy
Cold therapy is one of the simplest ways to manage the soreness and pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. It helps in soothing the symptoms and is both an effective as well as an inexpensive treatment method, especially if the condition is mild.
You can use a cold pack for this purpose. Place it on your wrist for 10–15 minutes, and repeat this multiple times during the day. Alternately, you can bathe your wrist in ice-cold water or create an ice bath instead. The effects are long-lasting and help the symptoms subside.
Wear a Wrist Brace
Another thing you can do is wear a wrist brace or carpal tunnel splint to reduce wrist pain. This helps in ensuring proper wrist position and relieves compression on the nerve. As a result, you’ll be able to flex and move your hand, wrist, and fingers more comfortably without withering in pain at every attempt.
Wearing a brace is especially recommended while sleeping. When you wake up, you’re less likely to experience numbness or pain at your wrist than if you were to sleep without wearing a wrist brace.
Take Breaks from Repetitive Tasks
This is as much a management strategy as it is a preventative one. If you do repetitive tasks regularly, you need to take a break every few minutes to prevent the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. If you already sustain the injury and can’t avoid doing these tasks, the same applies.
You may not be able to stop doing these repetitive tasks, but you can definitely dedicate a set time for breaks as you go about the work. For instance, if your job involves typing most of the day, you can schedule a break every 20 minutes and use this time to stretch your hands and wrists. Wiggle your fingers too, while you’re at it. Do this for a couple of seconds and rest your hand for a minute before resuming work. This will improve the blood flow to these regions and prevent the condition from worsening.
PRP Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
If the aforementioned methods don’t seem to be working, then there’s another minimally invasive option for you to consider. You can receive PRP injection therapy at our clinics for quick and effective pain relief from carpal tunnel syndrome.
At RegenerVate Medical Injection Therapy we offer regenerative therapy in greater Toronto. Make an appointment today!