Carpal tunnel steroid shots are injections into your wrist which can manage the most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a popular, “go-to” remedy of almost every carpal tunnel doctor. The reason is because when the shots works, the results are dramatic. But when don’t, it’s a big disappointment. 

Overall, steroid shots for carpal tunnel syndrome are effective 45% of the time. 

That's not a bad result, especially if you have excruciating hand or finger pain or crushing numbness. But that success rate doesn't come without risks. In other words, steroid shots should be used cautiously.

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If steroid injections were harmless there wouldn’t be a problem. This is why the University of Michigan Health System says such steroid injections should be used very carefully. 

This caution is due to the possible side effects of the steroid injection. Indeed, they can be severe (on rare occasion, they can be life threatening). More often, the side effects primarily include tendon weakening and bone degeneration (called steroid-induced osteoporosis).

In addition, steroid injection therapy is not cheap. 

On average, injections costs $350 - $450 in a doctor’s office.

But they cost $950 - $1,500 in a hospital or surgical center. 

Thus, the high cost combined with the fact steroid injections don’t work for everybody is a concern. For these reasons many healthcare professionals are seriously heeding the cautions of carpal tunnel steroid shots announced by the University of Michigan.

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In addition to tendon weakening and bone loss, carpal tunnel steroid shots have other side effects to consider. The more severe side effects that can result are:

• Loss of strength and movement in the tendon
• Tendon degeneration
• Tendon scarring, tearing or rupture
• Accidental injury to the median nerve during injection
• Infection

Less severe side effects are not as debilitating. However, they can result in pain and misery for weeks to months. Those minor side effects include:

• Injection site pain (may be intense and worsen long after the injection)
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Menstrual irregularities
• Weight gain
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Mood swings

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a serious condition. It may not seem like that in the beginning. In fact, it usually starts out as just an annoyance.

But within a few months the pain and numbness can get severe. It interferes with your life and consumes every waking minute. It even robs you of a good night's sleep.

This is why carpal tunnel syndrome requires real therapy, right now. You must address the issue head on. That issue is inflammation of your wrist tendons. Everything about carpal tunnel syndrome and its causes focuses on that inflammation.

Ice baths, steroid shots, and surgery are just temporary solutions. In time, your tendons will flare up again and the problem comes back. This is why carpal tunnel surgery is effective only 50% of the time. That's when you ask about patient satisfaction with their results at 2 years.

Therefore, you need to fix the tendon inflammation problem, not just manage the pain. And to fix the inflammation you have to get down to it's cause - right to the source of the problem. 

The cause of the inflammation is adhesions on the tendon. So if you eliminate the adhesions, you eliminate the carpal tunnel syndrome for good.

You can break up and destroy the adhesions effectively using  myofascial release massage. In fact, it's so effective that this therapy relieves carpal tunnel symptoms 97% of the time.