5 Tips to Keep Carpal Tunnel Pain at Bay

When you think about critical body parts, your mind might go to your heart or lungs. Your wrists actually play a huge role in helping you throughout your day, though. With this mobility between your arm and your hand, you’re able to do all the fine motions required to breeze through modern life.

That makes carpal tunnel syndrome a pain in more ways than one. On top of the physical discomfort, you have the annoyance of a twinge of pain when you go to do something seemingly simple. 

You’re not stuck with carpal tunnel, though. With expertise in musculoskeletal injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, Angel J. Garcia, MD, and our team can help. Visit us at El Paso Center for Family & Sports Medicine, and we can create a personalized plan to help you manage — and ideally eliminate — your carpal tunnel pain.  

For most people, these tips can help limit that discomfort. They all focus on minimizing the swelling that presses on the nerve in your wrist, causing the pain. 

#1: Wear a brace at night

When you sleep, you’re not in control of your wrist positioning. Most of us at least occasionally move our arms into positions that bend our wrists, often at awkward angles. 

By keeping your wrist straight at night, you minimize pressure on it during the hours you sleep. This means you wake up with a significantly lower likelihood of wrist pain. 

#2: Adjust your working environment

If you work at a desk, an ergonomic setup makes a big difference for carpal tunnel syndrome. You want to be in a position where your wrists are neutral, not angled up or down. That might mean adding a wrist pad to accommodate a higher keyboard or adjusting your chair higher or lower. 

#3: Apply ice

Ice helps reduce swelling, making it useful for this inflammation-based condition.

You can ice the area for about 15 minutes at a time every few hours. Just make sure you don’t apply the ice directly to your skin. Instead, wrap it in a towel or other cloth first. 

#4: Move it around

Some basic exercises can help with carpal tunnel pain. Those include bending your wrist forward and backward, curling your fingers in, and using your opposite hand to flex your wrist. 

#5: Take breaks

It seems simple, but giving your wrists a break can be a meaningful way to soothe the pain you’re feeling. Even a few minutes to move your wrists into a different position can help. 

What to do when these tips don’t help

If you’re still dealing with carpal tunnel pain after making these modifications, talk with Dr. Garcia. He can help you explore more involved treatment options, from corticosteroid injections to carpal tunnel release surgery. 

Don’t let the pain in your wrist become a pain in your neck that makes your life worse. For targeted carpal tunnel care, contact our office or schedule an appointment online today.