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PrintWhat is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Dr. Syed Saqib describes the most common causes and treatment options
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a form of pressure on the median nerves that leads to pain, tingling and numbness in the hands. In the United States, roughly one out of 20 people will suffer from the effects of this disabling condition, which occurs most commonly between the ages of 30 to 60 and is more typical in women than men.
The most common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is repetition of the same movement of the hand and wrist over and over (e.g. typing, texting, video games). Other causes may include sewing, driving, assembly line work, painting, writing, sports such as Ping-Pong, playing musical instruments, illnesses such as hypothyroidism, acromegaly, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, pregnancy, obesity and degenerative changes related to smoking.
The symptoms include, but are not limited to, pain in the hand and wrist, and tingling and numbness of thumb and the next two fingers adjacent to it. In some cases, pain can extend up to the elbow and may be prominent at night. The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is made by physical examination by the physician and relevant blood tests. Other tests may include wrist X-ray, nerve conduction velocity and electromyography (EMG), considered the gold standard for diagnosis.
Mild symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, but usually not without the conventional side effects. On the other hand, natural pain management products, based on data from clinical trials, are as effective as OTC pain medications, with no conventional side effects.
Other treatments include stopping activities that cause numbness and tingling, resting the wrist for longer periods of time, placing an ice pack on the wrist for 10 to 15 minutes, wearing a wrist splint to keep it in a neutral position, stretching exercises and massaging with over-the-counter natural oils and gels, like MyoKool. New treatments also include FDA-approved cold laser therapy for pain relief. Surgery is performed in severe cases, but in sometimes even the surgery does not alleviate pain and numbness.
Certain pain and anti-inflammatory formulas are developed using natural herbs and ingredients, combining traditional medicine with modern technology and science. They are effective and safe. The research is focused on controlling chronic inflammation without the serious side effects of prescription and over-the-counter pain medications.
Dr. Syed M. Saqib is COO of painfreeology. He specializes in health administration and has special interest in natural pain relief, anti-aging and functional medicine. For any questions email at contactus@painfreeology.com or visit Painfreeology.com.
