by Tom Nicholson

Acupuncture has come to be seen by some as an excellent treatment option for carpal tunnel syndrome. With acupuncture treatment, extremely thin needles get “spun” into (inserted in) particular points on the body. It is believed that by doing this, energy blockages in the body’s energy pathways, which are called meridians, can be removed, and healing can then take place. Some scientists interpret how acupuncture works as being able to release natural pain-killer chemicals into the body while enhancing blood flow and balancing out the nervous system. For those with carpal tunnel syndrome, the needles are spun into points along the hand, thumb, wrist, and arm. But the upper back, neck, and even legs might also receive needles to treat CTS.

There is no set number of acupuncture sessions that you will need; it will tend to depend on you health, the severity of your CTS and how rough you tend to be on your hands on a day to day basis.

If you don’t like the idea of needles, even though they don’t hurt so much as tingle, keep an eye out of laser acupuncture. In this process, your practitioner will use a handheld laser to replace the needles.

In one study on the effectiveness of acupuncture on CTS, 36 people with similar levels of pain were studied for two years. Of those 36, 14 had one or two surgeries done, though there were no results. Then, three laser acupuncture sessions were given to the study’s participants every week for over a month; at the end of this time, 33 of the original 36 reported that their pain was haled or gone entirely, even the ones who had had ineffective surgeries. Over the next two years, CTS pain returned to only two participants, but both of those participants were then successfully re-treated for their issues.

According to an announcement in 19997, the National Institutes of Health has declared that acupuncture is a viable and useful supplement treatment to issues related to CTS and can be a great addition to any overall management plan for CTS. However, keep in mind that the NIH did not declare that acupuncture was actually a cure for CTS, because there is not enough information stating that it is a powerful cure all on its own. While the findings were impressive, 36 people is not a great sample size and it is important to remember that acupuncture was not the only treatment used. That study also included traditional acupuncture, traditional Chinese herbal remedies and nutritional supplements as well as moxibustion.

Also keep in mind, thought, that doing the right exercises as you go through your day can negate the need for acupuncture at all. There are some great exercises that you can do at your desk or when you are on the job to reduce CTS pain and you’ll find that you won’t even need to change your diet or to talk to an expert.

About the Author:
Don’t let yourself sit by helplessly as your carpal tunnel syndrome more and more painful. Did you know that simply changing several of your daily habits can help alleviate some of the pain caused by CTS? Or that there are easy to learn simple massage that can take away the numbness in your hands? Follow this link to learn carpal tunnel exercises that can help you learn healthy habits for life.

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