Carpel tunnel syndrome is a pinched nerve in the wrist. It can cause pain and numbness the fingers and thumb. It is usually caused by a repetitive movement and is commonly thought if as a repetitive strain injury. The name comes from the eight bones in the hand that form a tunnel where the nerve lies. Some of the symptoms you may have with this condition are:

• Night time painful tingling in one or both hands, frequently causing sleep disturbance
• Feeling of uselessness in the fingers
• A sense that fingers are swollen even though little or no swelling is apparent
• Daytime tingling in the hands, followed by a decreased ability to squeeze things
• Loss of strength in the muscle at the base of the thumb, near the palm
• Pain shooting from the hand up the arm as far as the shoulder

In conventional medicine the treatment will usually include anti-inflammatory drugs as wells as steroid injections to reduce the swelling. There are a large number of alternative therapies that could be of benefit to carpel tunnel syndrome including nutritional therapy. There are a number of dietary changes you can make in order to reduce the symptoms and a professional will be able to advise you.

There are also a number of herbal and homeopathic remedies that you could consider in order to tone and strengthen the body. Some good things to consider are green tea, milk thistle, bromelain, turmeric and cat’s claw. Other therapies that could be of benefit are hydrotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage.