Many people who work in offices or use computers frequently develop symptoms of carpal tunnel. Very simply, the carpal tunnel is an opening in your hand that consists of the bones of your wrist on the bottom, and something called the Transverse Carpal Ligament on the top. It is through this opening that the median nerves and flexor tenons run to your hand.



However, in people who have carpal tunnel, the median nerve is compressed at the wrist. This leads to pain, sometimes severe, when you use your hands in day to day activities like holding knives, opening doors, or even making a fist. Here are some common carpal tunnel symptoms:

- Numbness or tingling sensation in one or both of your hands

- Sharp pains running through the forearm or wrist

- Lack of feeling in hands when holding objects (such as opening doors)

There are many ways to treat carpal tunnel, such as carpal tunnel surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery is not always successful and some people even report worsened symptoms after having it! Luckily, there is another way: acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical procedure (dating back as far as the Stone Age) that involves placing special needles into specific points on the body. The location of these "points" are very important, as they are said to be located in certain parts of your body's "vital energy" flows. It is therefore important to inject the acupuncture needles into the appropriate place on your body. This ensures that endorphins and the body's natural pain-killing chemicals are released into the region where you are experiencing pain.

There are many such points throughout the human body, and this explains why acupuncture is now used to treat everything from anxiety to back pain to numbing the urge to smoke cigarettes.

Interestingly, it has also been shown to be quite effective in treating carpal tunnel. Since the whole problem with carpal tunnel is a compressed nerve, there are pressure points in that region where the acupuncture needles can be injected. These claims were recently put to the test by Maxine Karpen, a registered nurse who conducted a study on the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating carpal tunnel. The results?

"In a study of acupuncture treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a positive response was demonstrated in 35 of 36 patients, 14 of whom had been previously treated unsuccessfully with surgery."

Once the acupuncture needles pierces the pressure points along your wrist, flexor tendons and hand ligaments, the pressure that has built up on them (and caused your carpal tunnel symptoms) lessens, sometimes permanently. Some people find multiple acupuncture to be more effective in treating the symptoms. It also helps greatly to adopt better habits with regard to your hands and wrists, such as keeping your wrists straight while typing, wearing a wrist guard, and doing stretches to prevent pressure from building up once again.

Of course, the proper thing to do is consult your doctor before any treatment of carpal tunnel. He or she will be the one best suited to render an opinion. However, based on Karpen's findings and a growing consensus of similar research, it seems like carpal tunnel victims now have a natural alternative to the stressful, painful, and costly ordeal of carpal tunnel surgery!