What is Carpal Tunnel?
Carpal tunnel is often described as a numb, tingling feeling in your hand and up your arm, which is caused by a pinched nerve in your wrist. While there is no single cause Carpal Tunnel, this often happens as a response to wrist fractures or even just from the swelling and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, stress, diabetes, pregnancy and/or pretty much anything that puts any direct pressure on the median nerve.
This is especially prevalent in the current climate. Since a lot of people are forced to work from home, if you lose the abilities to be able to work on your computer, the remaining options are little to none. Most people rely on some kind of medication until the injury "heals itself" and while this can happen, improper healing can lead to many more serious wrist and/or arm injuries in the future. An underrated option that a lot of people suffering from this ailment have not heard of is the use of electrical stimulation.
How does a TENS Unit help?
A TENS Unit (or E Stim machine) can help with any associated pain by sending out electrical waves that block pain receptors in the brain. All the user feels are small vibrations coming from the electrode pads however, resulting in a drug free and non-intrusive form of pain relief and inflammation aid.
When paired with the other vital steps any injury requires for healing (rest, hand exercises, etc), TENS Units are incredibly helpful in pushing the body that extra step to assure proper healing with the least amount of pain. If you are considering this option, ask your doctors if the Verve TENS Unit will work for you.
Placement:
Using both channels, place an electrode pad on opposing sides of each hand and wrist, like so:
Start on a low intensity setting and slowly increase to a level that is comfortable to maintain for an extended amount of time. Use the TENS Unit for up to an hour maximum and thirty minutes minimum, or as directed by your doctor.
Happy Healing!