If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, there may be days when the pain becomes unbearable every time you try to use your hands. While you may be considering surgery, you can use the tips below to help reduce your pain.

Stretch Your Wrists Several Times A Day

When the muscles in your hands, wrists, and forearms are tight, the tightness and spasms can elevate your pain. To combat this problem, stretch your wrists several times throughout the day to keep the muscles limber and loose.

One simple stretch is to pivot your hands back and forth, holding the position for a couple of seconds when your fingers tips are pointing up, then down. This stretches the wrist and forearm muscles, alternating between the top and bottom sets.

After pivoting your hands back and forth, stretch them from side to side. This helps loosen up the muscles on the sides of the wrists.

Keep Your Hands And Wrists Level While Working

Whenever possible, keep your hands and wrists level while you are working. If needed, adjust your chair so that your elbows are parallel with your workstation. When you are sitting like this, your wrists and hands should form a straight line away from your body, where they rest on your desk or computer keyboard.

If you don't have an adjustable chair, make adjustments accordingly. For example, if your keyboard is too low, place books underneath it until the keyboard is in line with your arms and hands. If your chair is too low, put a large book in the seat, then place a pillow on top of it to make it more comfortable.

Apply Cold Packs To Your Hands And Wrists

When your hands and wrists become inflamed, apply cold packs to help reduce the swelling. The cold from the packs also helps numb the pain by desensitizing the nerve endings. 

Apply the cold pack for no more than 15 minutes at a time to keep your skin from getting an ice burn. If one application does not fully relieve your symptoms, remove the cold pack for 15 minutes, then reapply for another 15 minutes.

Using one or more of the above tips can help minimize the discomfort caused by your carpal tunnel syndrome. However, if the pain seems to be getting progressively worse, you may want to make an appointment with a surgeon, like Conrad J Tirre MD, to discuss treatment options, including hand surgery.