If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, you may figure that your only solution is to have surgery. And indeed, carpal tunnel surgery is quite common, and it does have a high success rate — so it can be a very good choice for many patients. But what if you cannot have surgery or wish to avoid it? There is an alternative: physical therapy.

What is the goal of physical therapy for carpal tunnel?

The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to make your wrist more comfortable so you can use your hand and wrist without pain. This is done by strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments associated with the wrist and by stretching out the muscles in this area. Stronger, more flexible structures are associated with less inflammation, and inflammation is what's at the heart of carpal tunnel syndrome. If your physical therapist can reduce the inflammation in your wrists, your carpal tunnel syndrome should be a lot less bothersome. Most patients do not get rid of it completely, but they diminish their symptoms to the point that they're able to live and work without experiencing severe pain on a regular basis.

What treatments might a physical therapist recommend?

Most of the physical therapy will center around exercises to strengthen and stretch your wrists. Your therapist may have you do things like squeeze balls, pull on levers, and lift little weights. 

You will also be given guidance on how to use your wrist outside your therapy sessions. For instance, your therapist may suggest a different posture to use when typing, advise that you take breaks every so often, and recommend changing wrist positions periodically.

A physical therapist can also prescribe a splint you can wear to reduce strain on your wrist, and they may advise you to use heat or cold therapy periodically.

How will you know if physical therapy is working?

You should know within a couple of weeks if physical therapy will alleviate your carpal tunnel symptoms to an acceptable degree. By this time, your symptoms should be starting to lessen, and you should be thinking about your wrist pain less and less. The symptoms should continue to improve over the following months. If, after a month or two, the pain is still at the same level as it was when you started, then you may need surgery or more intensive treatments.

Physical therapy can be a great choice for carpal tunnel patients who do not wish to have surgery. It will require ongoing appointments and dedication, but it can keep you quite comfortable.

To learn more, contact a physical therapy clinic.