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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffThese steps may help you gain at least temporary relief from your symptoms:
- Take quick breaks from repetitive activities involving the use of your hands.
- Rotate your wrists and stretch your palms and fingers.
- Take a pain reliever, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve, others).
- Try wearing a wrist splint at night. Wrist splints are generally available over-the-counter at most drugstores or pharmacies. The splint should be snug but not tight.
- Avoid sleeping on your hands to help ease the pain or numbness in your wrists and hands.
If pain, numbness or weakness recurs and persists, see your doctor.
References
- Carpal tunnel syndrome fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2010.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00005. Accessed Dec. 20, 2010.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/CarpalTunnelSyndrome.aspx. Accessed Dec. 20, 2010.
- Scott KR, et al. Etiology of carpal tunnel syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 20, 2010.
- Wright PE. Carpal tunnel, ulnar tunnel, and stenosing tenosynovitis. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50076-3&isbn=978-0-323-03329-9&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50076-3--cesec9&uniqId=230418749-3. Accessed Dec. 20, 2010.
- Clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. Rosemont, Ill.: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://www.aaos.org/research/guidelines/CTS_guideline.pdf. Accessed Dec. 21, 2010.
- Clinical practice guideline on the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Rosemont, Ill.: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://www.aaos.org/research/guidelines/CTSTreatmentGuideline.pdf. Accessed Dec. 21, 2010.
- Scott KR, et al. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2010.
- Amadio PC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 21, 2010.
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