| The Best Treatment To Defeat Carpal Tunnel Symptoms |
| Written by Tom Nicholson | |||
| Thursday, 05 November 2009 14:12 | |||
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Those with carpal tunnel syndrome are sometimes advised that they need to reduce inflammation in their body to prevent CTS or cause its symptoms to fade away. Inflammation can cause more of the swelling of the joints, ligaments, and tissues that put pressure on the wrist's median nerve with causes CTS in the first place. The question then is, how can inflammation be reduced?
Those with carpal tunnel syndrome are sometimes advised that they need to reduce inflammation in their body to prevent CTS or cause its symptoms to fade away. Inflammation can cause more of the swelling of the joints, ligaments, and tissues that put pressure on the wrist's median nerve with causes CTS in the first place. The question then is, how can inflammation be reduced? Most CTS anti-inflammatory treatments begin with NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or aspirin. If you have difficulties with aspirin or other NSAID medications, of course you won't be able to take these; in addition, some say that you should stay away from aspirin anyway if you've got carpal tunnel syndrome because the blood thinning caused by NSAIDs can simply make symptoms worse. If you can take these, though, you should be able to get over-the-counter versions of these drugs, and therefore not need any prescriptions. Make sure you take the drugs with plenty of water, so that your body can fully absorb the active ingredients and therefore make the best use of them. These drugs will come with instructions, which you should be careful to follow. They're not benign simply because they're over-the-counter. So make sure you follow directions, which will usually say that they should be taken every four to six hours, not to exceed a certain dosage within 24 hours. Make sure you follow label directions carefully. These drugs do cause side effects such as stomach bleeding if not respected, so make sure you do. Once you've begun taking medication, you can help make it more effective if you limit the use of the wrist or hand that's inflamed for up to two weeks. After the two weeks have passed, tried to use your hand normally and see if pain and inflammation is reduced. If possible, wear a wrist brace at night to further immobilize the affected wrist and therefore minimize inflammation. If you still see little benefit after two weeks, go see your doctor; there are some very effective prescribed medications that are anti-inflammatory, although some of them may be steroidal in nature; this means that they'll need to be closely monitored because these medications do have side effects that can be detrimental. Other anti-inflammatory pursuits to follow include changing your diet such that you include more omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish, flax seeds or pumpkin seeds, as well as in smaller amounts in walnuts or canola oil. Olive oil, too, can also help reduce inflammation, even though it's not an omega-3 fatty acid. Reduce or even eliminate your consumption of red meat, and make sure the cuts you do eat are very, very lean if you must have red meat. Reduce consumption of dairy products and replace some of it with soy products, which also have anti-inflammatory properties. Focus on eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables. Fresh or frozen berries, too, are good choices to include in your diet as long as they're not overly processed and don't contain high amounts of sugar. Ideally, you want to eat unadulterated foods as close to their natural state as possible. For the time being, eliminate as many refined starches as you can, including potatoes and corn, and focus on whole grains only. If you think this is excessive to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, at least give it a try before you make a final decision. You may find that making these changes so improves your symptoms that the small amount of deprivation you feel by following a much stricter diet is absolutely worth it. In addition, there are some exercises you can do to strengthen your hand, wrist and forearm so that your CTS symptoms are reduced or even eliminated. About the Author: Tom Nicholson has made available to the public his unique carpal tunnel exercises that can ease pain and discomfort for any carpal tunnel sufferer. Discover a way to help yourself without resorting to surgery. Click here to reduce your suffering and improve your quality of life by doing a series of easycarpal tunnel exercises.
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