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CBD Oil for carpal tunnel syndrome

10 January 2022

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition affecting the hands and wrists, caused by repetitive movements or incorrect work posture. Symptoms include pain, irritation, and tingling sensations in the hand or lower arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome can prevent you from doing your work properly due to severe pain. Pain and inflammation are reasons for increasing numbers of people try CBD (cannabidiol). This natural supplement has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Although research into its full potential is still ongoing, patients with carpal tunnel syndrome could stand to benefit considerably from trying CBD Oil for symptom relief.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Painful hands, wrists, or fingers can be an incredible nuisance. Only when they start to ache do we realise how often we use them throughout the day. And in fact, this is precisely why carpal tunnel syndrome becomes a problem in the first place: by continued repetition of the same movements.  The carpal tunnel is a physiological structure accommodating the tendons that bend the fingers. A nerve also runs through this carpal tunnel, which is located on the inside of the wrist.

The carpal tunnel can become constricted, and this is why it can become too tight for the nervus medianus (one of the hand’s important nerves) to function properly. As pressure builds, neural function is disrupted. This is the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, which comes with the following common symptoms:

• Pain;
• Numb or tingling sensation in thumb, fingers, or palm of the hands;
• Pain radiating out to hands and lower arms;
• Loss of strength, particularly in thumbs;
• Reduced sensitivity;
• Burning sensations.

Patients may suffer from any combination of the symptoms listed above. They often flare up at night, potentially disrupting sleep. Carpal tunnel syndrome is most commonly seen in people aged 40 to 60; predominantly in women with particular prevalence in pregnant women. Carpal tunnel syndrome can coincide with conditions including poor thyroid function, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and diabetes.

Causes of the symptoms

The causes of carpal tunnel syndrome are linked to movement patterns and posture: making rapid, repetitive motions using our hands or wrists. Examples of risky behaviours include computer work, typing, and working behind the counter (scanning products). Working with machines that cause severe tremors, such as jackhammers for instance, can also cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

How can carpal tunnel syndrome be treated?

If you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, it is important to relax your hands on a regular basis. That means taking breaks every now and then to move your hands by gently bending and flexing your wrists. Make a fist and then stretch your fingers, or loosely waggle your hands for a minute. These exercises can provide temporary relief. Paracetamol is also regularly used. Of course, it is useful to try and adjust your work environment if you can, especially if working in a correct posture is difficult.

A doctor or physiotherapist may advise you to wear a brace to relieve the symptoms. These can be worn at night as well as during the day if possible, especially while performing the activities that cause the problem. If a brace does not provide relief in six to twelve weeks, further use will probably be ineffective. Other interventions include corticosteroid injections (anti-inflammatory), which may reduce or relieve symptoms altogether in some cases. Long-term physiotherapy trajectories can also prove helpful for treating carpal tunnel syndrome; and in such cases, CBD Oil can be used to support  your physio treatment in several ways.

CBD Oil for carpal tunnel syndrome

Although medication and surgery can sometimes prove helpful in treating carpal tunnel syndrome, many people choose to try CBD Oil as a natural alternative. CBD (cannabidiol) can support your body’s own physiology, with few if any side-effects. It is safe for everyday use. Although extensive clinical trials directed at carpal tunnel syndrome are still required, we do know that CBD Oil has analgesic properties that can prove effective for nerve pain, which is one of the main characteristics of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Pain and inflammation research

In 2007, the European Journal of Pharmacology published a study of CBD’s effects. Researchers orally administered CBD to rats affected by constriction of the hip nerve and inflammatory pain. This condition is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in terms of pain caused by constricted nerves. The study demonstrated that sensitivity to such pain decreased while inflammation was reduced.

A recent 2020 study indicated that topical application of CBD Oil also proves effective in treating nerve pain. This was a small-scale study involving 29 subjects in total. Nonetheless, a considerable share of participants reported reduction of their severe pain symptoms. Compared to the control group, they also suffered fewer neuropathy-linked symptoms such as itching or cold sensations.

In case of chronic nerve pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, or by other conditions such as MS (multiple sclerosis) or fibromyalgia, CBD Oil may also prove useful. A small-scale study conducted in 2019 involving 20 fibromyalgia patients demonstrated that pain symptoms caused by the condition were reduced by 30%.

Treating carpal tunnel syndrome inflammation with CBD Oil

Various studies have shown that CBD can reduce chronic inflammation in rats affected by rheumatoid arthritis. One experiment published by the European Journal of Pain involved dermal application of CBD in rats. This caused considerable reduction of swollen joints, allowing the subjects greater freedom of movement as well as lowering pain scores. Interestingly, these results became apparent after just a single dose of CBD.

It appears as if prevention of rheumatoid arthritis and the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome are related. Arthritis involves inflammation of tissues in joints. Long-term arthritis symptoms increases the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. This implies that early treatment of arthritis with CBD Oil may help prevent the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome before it becomes a problem.

Can CBD Oil supplements help treat carpal tunnel syndrome?

Even though we are still awaiting extensive clinical trials into the specific potential of CBD Oil for carpal tunnel syndrome, studies investigating similar conditions seem to indicate that this supplement may provide very good results indeed. If you would like to try CBD yourself, you can choose between Full Spectrum CBD Oil, CBD Tablets, or CBD Topicals such as CBD Salve or CBD Cream. Our range of high-quality CBD supplements is available in our web store, so order yours online today and experience the effects for yourself!