See: Inflammation

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

• Pinched nerve in the wrist

• Caused by stress on the hand

• Easily treated without drugs or surgery

Surgery

• Invasive and extreme

• Damages the wrist even more

• Multiple surgeries may be attempted

 PINCHED NERVE

     Location of the Carpal Tunnel is the "heel" of the hand, running from your forearm to your middle finger through the center of your palm.

    Wiggle your fingers, and imagine 8 tendons "sawing" back and forth through your palm.  In a healthy wrist, this is no problem.

    Unhealthy pressure is caused by repetitive actions, and uncomfortable positions of the wrist and fingers.

   Irritation and swelling from the overused tendons causes the Carpal Tunnel to swell shut, pinching off one of the major nerves of the hand.

    Nerve entrapment in the arm can be very painful, and cause weakness in the muscles of the hand and arm.

 TREATMENT

    Invasive treatment involves surgical cuts in the wrist and injections of anti-inflammatory drugs.  This should only be done when all other options have been tried. See: Inflammation

    Effective treatment involves removing the stress from the wrist, and letting the body heal itself.

    Deep tissue massage and stretching techniques can provide rapid relief.  Avoiding further stress on the wrist will allow full recovery.