Supplements for Carpal Tunnel?

[DoubleWide]

I'm asking for a friend. She has the start of carpal tunnel and was wondering if supplements would help.

[~~Aries~~]

Originally Posted by DoubleWide

I'm asking for a friend. She has the start of carpal tunnel and was wondering if supplements would help.

She should see her doctor if possible. They'll take an X-ray to verify the carpal tunnel and see the severity. Then they'll prescribe Corticosteroids and give her a brace to wear. I have it too. Wearing the brace for awhile will help tons. I wear it whenever it acts up, wear it for a few days to a week, and it feels better. Only OTC I can think of that would maybe help is something like Ibuprofen or aspirin, for it's anti-inflammatory properties but would only be temporary.

[Dr Clay]

Carpal tunnel is after caused by median nerve entrapment in the pronator teres muscle. The only supplement I can think of that may help is magnesium as it helps muscles to relax.

PLEASE have her find someone who does Active Release Technique as it has a great success rate treating carpal tunnel - thus with no surgery at all.

[DoubleWide]

Thanks for the advice. She's been to the doctor already. They gave her an overpriced brace and some other stuff I don't remember. I've seen supplements for joints, etc. and while it's not the same thing, I thought there might be supplements for it.

[Muscle Mania Malky]

As a Guy (tee hee) and a comp. sci. unviserity student, I deal with carpel tunnel constantly. And honestly, there hasn't been a supplement out there that helps it (well, that has helped me anyways.). I have found some temperary releif from muscle relaxors.. but I am still plagued with wearing the brace every now and then. the one big thing that helps is to constantly have my wrists moving to create bloodflow. I don't keep my wrists in the same position for long periods of time.

[Ultra_Magnus]

Im a computer guy, i dont have carpel tunnel yet. But i have developed trigger fingers.

Glucosomine and MSM do help alot.

[~~Aries~~]

Originally Posted by DoubleWide

Thanks for the advice. She's been to the doctor already. They gave her an overpriced brace and some other stuff I don't remember. I've seen supplements for joints, etc. and while it's not the same thing, I thought there might be supplements for it.

Wearing the brace for extended periods of time is the best thing for her. Only thing that will really get rid of it is stopping the repetitive motion that caused it in the first place. That or surgery.

[CLEAN_SET_OF_10]

Glucosamine
MSM
Turmeric
Bromelain

The company Organika makes a sup with all these. I work in a Nutrition store and these 4 compounds will help her the most.

[vazquez]

i'm a cit major myself, and i had hints of carpal tunnel, i started to do stretches and do forearm exercises with a barbell(forearm extensions/curls).

as of yet no issues.

[pogue]

Originally Posted by Dr Clay

Carpal tunnel is after caused by median nerve entrapment in the pronator teres muscle. The only supplement I can think of that may help is magnesium as it helps muscles to relax.

This sounds like it would work. I have *heard* B-Vitamins can help also.

I would also recommend gel mouse pads and keyboard pads for computer use.

[CognitiveNutrition]

Originally Posted by DoubleWide

I'm asking for a friend. She has the start of carpal tunnel and was wondering if supplements would help.

J Assoc Physicians India. 1999 Dec;47(12):1170-2.Links
Comment in:
J Assoc Physicians India. 2000 Nov;48(11):1130.
A preliminary trial of serratiopeptidase in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.Panagariya A, Sharma AK.
Dept. of Neurology, SMS Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur.

OBJECTIVES: This study was planned to assess the response of serratiopeptidase in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: Twenty patients with CTS were evaluated clinically. After baseline electrophysiological studies, these patients were given serratiopeptidase 10 mg twice daily with initial short course of nimesulide. Clinical and electrophysiological reassessment was done after 6 weeks. RESULTS: Mean age was 43.9 years with male to female ratio of 1:2.33. Sixty five percent cases showed significant clinical improvement which was supported by significant improvement in electrophysiological parameters. Recurrence was reported in four cases. No significant side effect was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Serratiopeptidase therapy may proved to be a useful alternative mode of conservative treatment.

[CognitiveNutrition]

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002 Dec;73(6):710-4. Links
A randomised clinical trial of oral steroids in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a long term follow up.Chang MH, Ger LP, Hsieh PF, Huang SY.
Section of Neurology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital and Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. cmh50@ms10.hinet.net

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of a two week and a four week course of oral steroids in the conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: 109 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were randomly divided into two treatment groups: (1) two weeks of prednisolone 20 mg daily followed by two weeks of prednisolone 10 mg daily (n = 53); (2) two weeks of prednisolone 20 mg daily and two weeks of placebo (n = 56). A symptom questionnaire was used to rate the five major symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (numbness, pain, weakness/clumsiness, tingling, and nocturnal awakening) on a scale of 0 (nil) to 10 (severe); the resulting global symptom score was used to evaluate the efficacy of treatment. Assessments were made at baseline and at one, three, six, nine, and 12 months. Electrodiagnosis was repeated at the end of the study to validate improvement. RESULTS: In an intention to treat analysis at the end of the study, improvement in the four week treatment group was achieved in 66.0% of the patients after one month and in 49.0% at the end of the study; in the two week treatment group, the respective values were 48.2% and 35.7%. In the four week treatment group, 51% were considered treatment failures (including those lost to follow up, receiving surgery, or with mild or no improvement), compared with 64.3% for the two week group. Though the percentage improvement was higher in the four week group, the difference did not reach a statistical significance. Persistence of improvement was 74.2% in the four week group v 74.1% in the two week group, suggesting no difference in the long term effect. Efficacy analysis showed no significant difference in global symptom score reduction between the two groups. Follow up electrodiagnosis showed significant improvement in all measured variables except for the amplitude of compound muscle action potentials. CONCLUSIONS: Short term low dose oral steroid are effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. The dose of steroids and the duration treatment are not key determinants of efficacy.

[DoubleWide]

Thanks all. Will rep when recharged.