The most pronounced sensations of carpal tunnel syndrome are typically located in the palm and fingers. They include:

• pain
• numbness
• tingling (pins-and-needles)
• shooting electric shocks
• burning
• weakness
• clumsiness

Symptoms are usually most intense in the thumb and pointer fingers. The pinky finger is never affected. The intensity of each symptom can range from annoying to crushingly intense. And symptoms can be intermittent or constant.

Depending on which stage of carpal tunnel syndrome you’re in, severity can range from a mild annoyance to crushingly severe (as the photo suggests). Each stage of carpal tunnel syndrome is managed differently.

The underlying neurological problem in carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of your median nerve deep inside your wrist joint. This is one of the major nerves of the hand.

Compression of the median nerve begins when flexor tendons (those which allow you to grip) become inflamed. The inflammation occurs when the hand and fingers undergo prolonged stress, as when gripping constantly.

Over a period of weeks to months, the stress accumulates. It causes the tendons to become sticky and less able to glide smoothly. This, then, produces large adhesions in and around the tendons. These adhesions encourage the proliferaton of connective tissue ("fascia"), further restricting tendon movement. 

Because the body dislikes adhesions and restrictions, the area around the tendons begin to inflame. Inflammation causes local swelling and expansion of the tendons and their surroundings. Since the median nerve is right next to the tendons (as the diagram shows), the swelling pushes on the nerve. This pushing causes nerve compression which is responsible for all of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Therefore, at its source, carpal tunnel syndrome is actually a problem with your tendons. Your median nerve is merely an innocent bystander that’s getting crushed by the swollen tendons.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines or NSAIDs like Advil, Motrin, Aleve, and Tylenol certainly reduce inflammation and swelling. And they are very effective in doing so. 

But after about 4 hours, when the anti-inflammatory effect wears off, the inflammation (and more importantly, the swelling) return. That means carpal tunnel symptoms return. 

It's now well-established by the AMA that long-term use of NSAIDs are harmful to your liver and kidneys. So this temporary solution is not a very good choice for long term management of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Steroid shots are another common treatment to reduce inflammation. That means a reduction of carpal tunnel symptoms. 

Corticosteroids are much more powerful anti-inflammatory agents than NSAIDs. Their relief can last 3-4 months. In about 45% of patients, symptoms return after that time.

But steroids also produce significant side effects like kidney and liver damage. They also contribute to bone loss and weight gain. Therefore, like NSAIDs, steroid shots can only be used as a temporary solution for carpal tunnel syndrome. They are not a good long term remedy.

A common treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome is called carpal tunnel release surgery. The term “release” is used to denote that the median nerve is released from being compressed. But the relief doesn’t come from fixing the tendon problem. 

Instead, the surgeon cuts the ligament holding your wrist bones together. When this is done, the bones snap apart, liked cutting the string in a hunting bow. The result is more space around the median nerve. Typically, symptoms are relieved in a matter of weeks.

There are huge downsides to surgery. First, there is significant post-surgical pain. Second, aftercare and recover can be extensive. Finally, after the wrist bones snap apart to create more room for the nerve, another problem emerges. That is, the body doesn’t like empty space. In fact, it quickly fills it with more connective tissue. And when this happens, the compression problem begins all over again. 

This is why the vast majority of carpal tunnel surgery patients see symptoms return after 2 years. Like NSAIDs or steroid shots, carpal tunnel surgery is not a permanent solution.

So what’s a permanent solution to eliminating carpal tunnel syndrome for good?

Deep tissue massage of the forearm and wrist is one of the most powerful non-surgical carpal tunnel treatments. A specific type of deep tissue massage called myofascial release massage breas apart adhesions and restrictions on wrist flexor tendons. 

This particular massage action reduces tendon inflammation and swelling. That means compression of the median nerve is relieved. So are the painful, numbing or burning symptoms it causes.

Other benefits of myofascial release massage for carpal tunnel massage merit mentioning. First, the massage promotes more blood flow. Enhanced circulation is crucial for the healing process. 

Second, the massage facilitates removal of excess fluid from inside the wrist joint. Both of these effects help the healing process and restore a damaged wrist back to normal again.

You now understand that the underlying problem with carpal tunnel syndrome is tendon adhesions and restrictions. These cause inflammation and swelling that pushes against the median nerve, and ultimately crushing it.

The only meaningful way to permanently relieve the swelling is to go to the source. That means to stop the tendons from ever swelling again.

Massage therapists, chiropractors, and physical therapists have been familiar with this process for decades. That’s why they treat carpal tunnel syndrome using myofascial release massage. And it's unlike any other type of deep tissue manipulation. 

Myofascial release massage does exactly what the name suggests. It “releases” the tendons from surrounding connective tissue ("fascia"). In carpal tunnel syndrome, the fascia becomes more adhesive. And it surrounds and binds the tendons, retricting their free movement.

As the tendons are freed, they are able to glide smoothly again. They return to their natural mechanical and operational balance. 

When balance is restored, inflammation reduces and swelling disappears. Of course, the median nerve is no longer compressed by the swelling. That means carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms disappear – permanently.

A therapist uses their thumbs to perform myofascial release massage over the forearm and wrist area. The thumbs push into the skin and make counter-rotating, semicircular motions.

The result is that the tissue just under the skin (including the tendons) are subjected to a “kneading” action. The kneading pushes and pulls the tendons together and then apart. This rips and breaks the adhesion. 

It’s optimal to have this massage session twice daily for about one month. That’s because it takes time for all of the adhesion to be eliminated. In time, the tendons are able to glide smoothly again.

The final result is that flexor tendons are brought back into their natural balance. When this balance is restored, inflammation and swelling will not occur. The result is that the median nerve is free to function without being compressed. And, of course, ALL symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome disappear forever.

The CarpalRx is an automatic myofascial release massager. It's patented and cleared by the FDA to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome. Most importantly, it uses the same powerful massage technique used by therapists.

The device uses counter-orbiting heads to simulate the thumbs of a therapist performing myofascial release massage on your wrist and forearm. But as opposed to a therapist:

• It doesn’t tire out
• There's no daily massage fee
• You can take it home to use at your leisure 

Yet the results are identical to that of a therapist’s fingers. Multiple clinical studies are validated and published by the National Institutes of Health. They prove that the CarpalRx is effective in completely relieving symptoms in 97% of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

It’s like a take-home therapist to treat your carpal tunnel syndrome.