Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
13 June 2023
Massage therapy and carpal tunnel syndrome
Massage is fantastic for releasing tension and stiffness in the wrist and hand that comes along with the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Gentle massage strokes to increase the blood flow and relax the muscles can have a positive effect with this condition and help to reduce pain and inflammation.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel is where a nerve in your wrist becomes compressed. This happens when tendons in your wrist that run alongside the nerve become inflamed or irritated. The nerve is then painful and weakened and can lead to numbness and loss of full function in the wrist, hand and fingers and even in the arm.
What does carpal tunnel syndrome feel like?
The feeling is such of burning in the palm of the hand and into the fingers, often with numbness and itching. Hand grip can be affected, with weakness occurring and an inability to grasp items normally. There may also be some inflammation.
How do you get carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel is much more likely to affect women. It is thought that pregnancy and diabetes are triggers for carpal tunnel but more commonly the cause is by repetitive moments such as typing on a computer keyboard. Or it could be a result of a trauma in the area such as a wrist sprain or broken bone. Sports injuries are also the culprit for carpal tunnel, in particular sports where movements are repetitive such as throwing or racket sports.
How to get rid of carpal tunnel syndrome
Stopping or reducing the amount in which repetitive movements at the wrist and hand are performed will allow a period of rest and healing. In some cases imobilisation of the area is important to allow for full rest. Some compression bandage may help reduce inflammation. In rare cases injections and surgery can be undertaken but usually only when the condition is very persistent. Recovery for carpal tunnel is possible with adequate rest and some soft tissue treatment.
Author: Cross Massage Therapy