I'm using ibuprofin and take vitamin B6 every day and it helps, but does anyone have any "tricks" or things you do to ease the pain and numbness at night? I tried icing my wrists but it's just too much trouble for such short term gain

10/21/2007 10:42:12 PM

dunno much about carpal tunnel, but im about to become an expert on cubital tunnel

10/22/2007 7:21:38 AM

i take a rubber band or a livestrong bracelet and put it around my fingers and expand them. that way it works out the hand opposite muscles. for some reason, stretching my neck also helps out. try standing straight up and moving your ear down towards your shoulder and holding it. you'll usually feel that one side is more tense than the other.

10/22/2007 7:42:32 AM

try wearing wrist braces at night in addition to when you are typing. it really will make a difference.
skip

10/22/2007 8:38:27 AM

It helps me to put the mouse down for a few days.

10/22/2007 8:46:31 AM

if you can work out using your mouse with both hands it helps, alternating ever so often

and changing which fingers you left click with by position on the mouse helps too

10/22/2007 8:59:18 AM

I have moderate/severe carpal tunnel in both wrists. I had all the testing done at the doctors (ENG's) and they gave me the options for what I could do. I find I get the most relief from just wearing my wrist braces at night. I tend to sleep on my hands/wrists incorrectly, plus I have a lot of repetitive motions with my job which aggravates my wrists to the point where my hands ache and go numb. My doctor sent me home with stretching exercises and then told me about the Cortisone injections and surgery options.

Surgery will by my absolute last option - because you're out of commission with your hands for at least 3 months and you're not guaranteed full recovery.

Get some good braces. I got mine at a drug store (they ran about $25 each) and they're great. It's weird getting used to them because they're very restrictive, but well worth having them. Sometimes I forget to put them on at night (just too tired to remember) and when I wake up in the morning, I'm in a lot of pain, and really can't use my hands that well for the rest of the day.

10/22/2007 10:40:22 AM

i'll try the wrist braces at night thing. sounds like a good idea.
It's not typing that does it. I've been typing hours a day ever since I first went to State with no problems. Mine is from winding steel cable all day long. a lot of the "rolling up a magazine to smack the dog" type motion. I think the more I do it, the less swelling I have to endure *for now* and that helps too.
But I can't even sleep sometimes. sucks 4 me

10/23/2007 12:19:50 AM

^Several nights I have been woken up from sleep because of my carpal tunnel - the pain is just incredible!


DEFINITELY get those braces - you'll notice a difference immediately. Keep taking your anti-inflammatories. I've gotten to the point where I don't have to take pain meds on a regular basis for my wrists because of the braces.

10/23/2007 7:57:52 PM

i would consider using the braces when you do anything repetitive. typing is generally the cause so sorry for assuming thats what the cause was. anyhow hope the braces help. they will be irritating at first, but i'm sure they are less annoying than the pain of your carpal tunnel.

10/23/2007 8:35:59 PM

http://eeshop.unl.edu/text/mistrech.txt

10/23/2007 9:44:16 PM