Helping Hands Heal since 2005
From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist
Patients always ask about the best carpal tunnel remedies available. After decades in this field, I've heard about hundreds of "home remedies" or "quick fixes". Some of these are reasonable. But many others are... well... bizarre.
If you have carpal tunnel symptoms, I've outlined some of the most common treatments patients have tried. They're in no particular order. Some are great and some simply don't work at all.
Managing Symptoms is Key
Before we discuss carpal tunnel remedies, it's important to know one fact: there's no such thing as a carpal tunnel cure. But even though it's an incurable disease, you can manage carpal tunnel with the proper therapy.
It's a lot like diabetes. You can't cure diabetes but you can manage it with insulin.
So managing the pain and other symptoms of carpal tunnel is crucial. And even though you'd welcome any pain relief, a remedy which can kill pain AND keep it from returning is the holy grail for patients.
Placebo Effect in Pain Management
The intent of many pain products is to provide some measure of temporary relief and hope the patient is happy enough. That's why many products rely on the placebo effect to provide relief. Sure, the placebo effect is a powerful healing force. But when pitted against real physiological problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, the placebo effect wears off fast.
So when you think about remedies to get rid of pain, think permanence. You might believe carpal tunnel surgery is a permanent "fix", but you'd be wrong. That's because over 50% of patients see symptoms returning within 2 years of surgery.
Like hand surgery, other products seem to eliminate hand pain. But the pain surely returns again. But some products are much more reliable than others. Read further to understand what's available for sale - and what to avoid.
Biofreeze, Tiger Balm, Topricin, Blue Emu and other ointments are popular carpal tunnel remedies. Patients say they're good for temporary pain relief. By temporary, they mean 15-20 minutes.
This relief is mostly due to menthol or other topical soothing agents that act fast and then wear off. But isn’t it better to eliminate the cause of the pain so it won’t return?
Recently published research (January 2023) reveals that nearly a third of patients suffering with chronic pain treat their symptoms with cannabis. Exactly how many patients use cannabis specifically to relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome is unknown.
However, using cannabis dramatically recudes the need to use opioids for pain relief. This is important for overcoming opioid dependency.
Over the counter pain medicines are by far the most common carpal tunnel remedies.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the most common medicines used in the United States today are aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, and Naproxen.
These pain medicines are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. They can reduce inflammation - and thus carpal tunnel pain. But they can only be used for temporary relief.
The FDA says using NSAIDs on a long-term, daily basis can harm the heart, kidneys, and liver. So taking them routinely for 2-3 months to relieve carpal tunnel pain is dangerous. It makes more sense to remove the source of the inflammation (and pain) so it will never come back again.
Hand elevation is merely a temporary measure. It changes the fluid distribution in the limb so that your wrist is not as swollen on the inside. Therefore, carpal tunnel pain lessens. But it’s not an effective remedy for carpal tunnel syndrome.
One problem is you must elevate your hand above your head, not just above the heart to get good results.
Another problem with hand elevation is that you can’t comfortably keep your hand high in the air for very long without tiring.
Hand and finger stretching exercises on a regular basis are one of the best treatments for carpal tunnel around. They're a good way to relieve tight or stiff tendons.
Actually, that’s the root cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, regularly stretching wrist flexor tendons (the tendons that cause carpal tunnel syndrome) works very effectively.
Certain movements, called “tendon-gliding” exercises can reduce the swelling around the median nerve. Doing so can reduce even moderate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The best hand exercises mainly target the fingers. And they're most helpful to get rid of hand and finger pain when symptoms have just begun. There are several maneuvers you can perform. But in all cases they must be done at least 5-10 times per day to be effective. Unfortunately, such exercises don't help with more severe symptoms. If you have severe carpal tunnel syndrome then you need more aggressive therapy.
It’s been known for a very long time that routine yoga stretches help reduce carpal tunnel pain. The reason is likely multi-fold.
As carpal tunnel remedies go, carpal tunnel braces are a good first-line defense against this condition. If symptoms are mild, bracing at night and avoiding the activity causing the hand pain can help reduce and even eliminate symptoms.
Unfortunately, bracing does not have an impact on more severe symptoms. But in combination with a stronger therapy it can help reduce pain, numbness and tingling.
Take note: You should NEVER wear a brace during the daytime while using your hands if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. That’s because:
In contrast, you MUST wear a brace when you sleep. Make sure there is no metal spine on the palm side of the night brace. If so, then bending your wrist will push that spine against your carpal tunnel (and increase pressure inside). So just remove that spine from the brace, or buy one without it. See this article about which carpal tunnel brace features to look for.
Every single day in my office, the topic of ice, heat & carpal tunnel comes up. Many people swear that applying cold to their hand and wrist relieves carpal tunnel pain. I have no doubt that among all carpal tunnel remedies, patients swear by this one the most.
But there are no studies verifying this. Yet many patients have told me that ice baths – when done several times a day – can keep the pain to a tolerable level. Also, some patients say “contrast baths” work even better. That’s when you dunk your hand into cold water for a few minutes, and then into hot water for a few minutes.
In reality, I believe these cold or hot baths are just distractions from pain. The pain comes from a compressed median nerve deep inside your wrist joint: it has nothing to do with skin temperature. Supporting my belief, these same devotees say the pain returns in 10-15 minutes. Coincidentally, that’s about how long you can distract the mind.
If you immerse any part of the body in warm water, it feels good. And the hand is no exception. So with chronic hand pain, even a minor “feel good”’ solution is still a nice thing.
Heat penetrates the skin and lower layers much deeper than cold. And unlike the ice baths described above, heat therapy actually does help heal damaged tissues.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is essentially damaged tendons that swell and push on the median nerve. Healing those tendons is the key to ALL successful, long-term carpal tunnel remedies. But if you have advanced carpal tunnel symptoms, you need more advanced therapy than heat alone can provide.
The most popular of these tapes is called “The Carpal Solution”. It’s an attractive remedy for hand pain sufferers because it promises “complete and permanent relief”. For sure, who wouldn’t want that? The slick advertising draws in hopeful people seeking an inexpensive, non-surgical cure.
But dear readers, it’s just a piece of adhesive tape on your hand. Basically, it's only a placebo effect. The company claims it’s “FDA Approved”. But on closer inspection, the FDA has approved it merely as adhesive tape and nothing more. It's actually in the same classification as Scotch Tape. The FDA has not allowed it to make claims about carpal tunnel syndrome.
To me, it’s almost impossible to believe carpal tunnel patients can fall for this hype. But pain often leads people to make blind or irrational decisions in the hope that a small miracle can happen.
I’ve combined these two products together because they’re equally silly. These plastic gadgets massage your forearm tendons. Undoubtedly each one feels good when using it. But all massages feel good!
Massaging the entire forearm does little to help the compressed median nerve inside your wrist joint. That’s the central cause of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The great appeal of these products is their low cost. And I'm certain they produce a strong placebo effect. Patients often come to me saying, "After buying it, I threw it away."
I’ve saved the best for last. As you’re probably aware (full disclosure here) I’m the biggest and most vocal proponent of myofascial release for carpal tunnel syndrome. But that’s because it works!
In fact, it’s one of the most potent carpal tunnel remedies you can use. This isn’t just opinion, but actual fact, as published in multiple respected pain journals.
These published studies show myofascial release massage is highly effective for all stages of carpal tunnel syndrome. It can even eliminate very severe symptoms. But there’s a catch: you need it daily (twice daily is best) for a month to eliminate carpal tunnel.
Physical therapists and massage therapists are excellent at performing this treatment. But it gets expensive visiting them daily for a month. In theory, you can perform myofascial release massage at home. But you need two hands to do it. That’s why a willing partner who can perform this therapeutic technique is invaluable to your eliminating symptoms. This article shows you how to do it.
But there's another option...
I invented the CarpalRx. It does the exact myofascial release massage automatically, at home, and at your convenience until symptoms dissolve. Published research shows it’s effective in 97.9% of patients with all stages of carpal tunnel syndrome.
I’ve seen countless carpal tunnel remedies come and go over the years. Most were on the internet and advertised to “cure” carpal tunnel syndrome. But remember, you can't cure this condition; you can only treat it.
Ironically, the best test for these products’ effectiveness is the internet itself. Just read what customers say about them.
For instance, a quick search about some of these products reveals tons of “positive reviews” (especially on the company’s website). At the same time on the internet, there are a lot of reviews calling them “a waste of money”.
So which is correct?
If you track down those “positive reviews” you’ll see they come from “hand pain blogs” or “carpal tunnel blogs" or else websites that sell carpal tunnel or pain products.
So ask yourself, “If this reviewer is glowing about the product, then why are they back again on a hand pain site? Don’t they have better things to do?”
Exactly!
That usually means the site posted a fake review.
When people eliminate their hand pain, they go on with their lives. They don’t re-visit hand pain remedy sites again.
As an example, you've probably searched the web for the best car, TV or computer. But did you go back and search again after you were satisfied with your purchase? Of course not!
When it comes to product reviews for carpal tunnel remedies, always remember:
