Tue 29 Sep 2009
Carpal tunnel syndrome is becoming more common and causes intense pain and throbbing as well as weakness or numbness in the wrists, fingers and hands. People that suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome often have trouble holding even lightweight objects when they lose the ability to grip objects. It is common for a person that has been diagnosed with CTS to wear a wrist brace the will correct the hands posture. A wrist brace will help relieve some of the pain and will prevent any further nerve damage. Sometimes surgery is required to correct the condition, but is normally used only as a last resort. Many people can effectively relieve the pain and even reverse the condition with the use of carpal tunnel massage.
Though these massage techniques are not widely prescribed yet, there are studies that indicate that the pain levels are decreased when a person receives regular treatment from a massage therapist coupled with some easy self massage methods that can be done at home. The best time to do the self massage is at night, when the pain is usually the most intense. One recent study was done the split carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers into two test groups. One group did the carpal tunnel massage techniques themselves in combination with professional massage therapy. After one month, these participants reported an improved grip, lower pain levels, and showed less signs of depression. Unfortunately, depression is commonly associated with this condition. The group that didn’t participate in any kind of massage therapy showed no signs of improvement. The medical community is insisting on more research before recommending this treatment plan to their patients, but these early studies show promise.
To self-administer massages, a person should rub the forearm in short, pressurized strokes lasting approximately 2 - 3 seconds per stroke. These same strokes should be applied to the palms of the hand and slightly lighter strokes at the wrist area. A carpal tunnel massage should be administered at least once daily or more times if necessary. After doing so for several weeks, one can expect for the associated pain to begin to subside. Continuing in this fashion for several months is purported by some sufferers to completely reverse carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel can also be caused by shoulder, back and neck stress. It is very helpful to get regular massages that concentrate on these areas. If a person has been fortunate enough to have avoided developing the condition, this will go a long way to prevent the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. People that do tasks that require repetitive movements should have regular massages since they are at a higher risk than some others for developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Exercises that require squeezing, resistance and stretching of the arm, wrist, fingers and hands are also helpful. By routinely using a stress ball to help with squeezing and resistance, or using range of motion exercise that slowly rotate wrists and stretch fingers, blood can begin to properly circulate in the damaged region and give relief to swelling and pressure on the median nerve located in the wrist’s carpal tunnel.
For sufferers that are already using a brace to correct the hands posture and relieve the pain should continue its use. It is recommended that theses people also use carpal tunnel massage therapy to increase the chances of recovery from this painful condition. It is possible to use carpal tunnel massage to decrease the chances of needing surgery as well as decreasing the chance of further damage to the nerve.
