RSI-Relief

Stumbled across a useful article at Fun Times Guide Healthy Living, called 7 DIY Carpal Tunnel Treatments – Ways To Avoid Surgery For Carpal Tunnel, which discusses “some of the preventive measures you can take to avoid getting carpal tunnel syndrome”:

1. A carpal tunnel wrist brace or splint can be worn at night and during any activities during the day that may aggravate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Your doctor may subscribe anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as Ibuprofen) to help with the pain.
3. Changing the activities that you do with your hand can help, as well. Although, if your job is typing or some other activity where you are using your wrists and hands a lot, this may not be an option. Generally speaking, you want to avoid holding your wrists in a downward bent position for long periods of time.
4. Some doctors advocate giving carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers corticosteroid shots to help relieve the pain. However, they are only temporary and the pain and other symptoms can return.
5. Add B6, Riboflavin and Biotin to your diet. Taking a supplement is the best way to do this. Just don’t take more than 100 milligrams of B6 without consulting your doctor. Too much B6 can make you sick — causing sensitivity to sunlight, a rash, and other nasty symptoms. Doctors aren’t quite sure what B6 does that helps carpal tunnel syndrome, but it is speculated that B6 acts as a diuretic causing the body to eliminate excess fluid. Whatever the reason, studies with animals have shown that B6 reduces pain, and patients who take it claim it works. Biotin and Riboflavin are also B vitamins and work synergistically with B6, so some doctors say you should take a supplement with all 3 in it.
6. Accupuncture is another natural treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. Again, researchers aren’t exactly sure why it works, but some believe that acupuncture releases natural pain killing endorphins that help to relieve (and in some cases cure) carpal tunnel syndrome. In one study all of the people whose surgeries had failed to cure their carpal tunnel syndrome noticed marked improvements in their symptoms and pain.
7. There are a number of different yoga stretches that can help alleviate the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. A number of these stretches include hand poses, but there are also some poses that stretch your back, spine, and shoulders which help as well. Here are some simple finger stretches you can try. Or, you could ask a partner to massage your hands for you.

There’s some good advice here, and some more solid information in the article itself. [read more]