CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Betty first came to see me because she was having difficulty sleeping. It wasn’t a problem with insomnia but rather a persistent burning pain in her wrist that kept waking her during the night. It turned out that the band also bothered Betty during the day, but she said during the day she could live with it; at night she was driven to distraction by the tingling and burning. Betty was suffering from carpal tunnel/syndrome. A typical victim of this disorder, she is a woman over thirty who had been working at a computer for a number of years. One theory on carpal tunnel holds that women around menopause are more liable to develop it because the change in hormonal levels encourages fluid buildup and thus swelling in the wrists. But women aren’t the only sufferers. Men, particularly those who work at repetitive tasks with their hands such as carpenters or those who work at keyboards, are also liable to develop the syndrome. Certain conditions can predispose one to carpal tunnel syndrome, including arthritis, gout, diabetes, pregnancy, and thyroid problems.

Carpal tunnel syndrome results when pressure is put on the median nerve as it passes down the arm through the space formed by the wrist bones into the hand. The symptoms include weakness in the hand, pain, numbness, tingling, and aching that can radiate up into the arm and shoulder, and is particularly troublesome at night. The first sign of the development of carpal tunnel syndrome is typically a tingling sensation in the thumb and forefinger; a feeling that they have fallen asleep.

There is a simple test that may help you identify carpal tunnel: hold out the suspect hand, let’s say it’s the right hand. With the index finger of the left hand, tap the right wrist where it joins the hand. If you feel a tingling that shoots down into your right hand and fingers, you could have carpal tunnel syndrome. When Betty came to see me she told me that she had been putting off seeing a doctor because her cousin had suffered from a similar pain and had had hand surgery with no real improvement in her painful wrist. While surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome may be successful, it’s important to know that a recent study shows that two years after surgery, almost one third of the patients who had undergone the operation found that symptoms had returned.

Fortunately vitamin B6 supplementation, the natural treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, is simple, inexpensive, and usually very effective. Researchers have discovered that many people with carpal tunnel also suffer from a B6 vitamin deficiency (which explains why many sufferers are pregnant women, menopausal women, or women on birth control pills, because these conditions deplete B6.) Vitamin B6 works to strengthen the sheath that surrounds the tendon and thus helps to relieve the pain. Two other B vitamins work in conjunction with B6, to make the treatment more effective: B2 and B12. In addition, folic acid is beneficial.

I recommended that Betty begin supplementation immediately. As it takes six to twelve weeks for improvement to be felt, I cautioned patience. In the meantime, because her condition was quite painful, I suggested that she rest the hand completely for a week, using a simple splint to limit its motion. I also suggested that she use heat-either a heating pad or warm water soak-at least twice a day. After that first week, she could gradually go back to using the hand, but with caution.

If you work at repetitive tasks-at a computer keyboard, for example -you should stop at regular intervals while working to give your wrists a break. Making small gentle circles in the air with your hands will help restore circulation and ease pressure and can help prevent an attack of this syndrome.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

• You may want to use a simple splint-available at a pharmacy-to immobilize the hand and relieve pain until the other measures begin to take effect.
• A heating pad or warm moist compress can help relieve pain.
• If you work at repetitive tasks, stop occasionally and make slow circles with your hands to restore circulation and relieve pressure.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• Vitamin B6: 300 mg. daily for no longer than three months; take 50 to 100 mg. daily as a maintenance dosage. Remember that it can take up to three months for the effects of the supplementation to be felt. Warning: Vitamin B6 can be toxic at high levels. Do not take more than the recommended amount
• Vitamin B2: 100 mg. daily.
• Vitamin B12:1,000 mcg. daily in tablet form dissolved under the tongue.
• Folic acid: 800 mcg. daily.

In addition: Acupuncture treatments can be very helpful in eliminating the pain of carpal tunnel.