Carpal tunnel syndrome and Vitamin B6, is there any real merit to the relief that it might offer from this very painful condition? The answer is a resounding yes and there are also other nutrients that make it even more effective.

 

For those people that suffer from this syndrome that can cause tingling, pain, and numbness, and in some cases force you to use just your little finger when the pain sets in, these nutrients can provide not only temporary relief, but in most cases, almost erase the pain completely.

 

Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as CTS, is believed to affect as many as 2.1 million Americans as well as millions of people worldwide. No one really knows exactly why, but it tends to be a lot more common in women than in men.

 

CTS is the most common peripheral nerve compression syndrome, and it is commonly held that any type of continual repetitive use of the hands, especially where the fingers are constantly being pressed to flex a lot, triggers this very painful ordeal. Peripheral nerves are the nerves in your body that are outside of both your brain and the spinal cord and there are actually more than 100 different types of peripheral disorders.

 

When these nerves become disturbed by a disorder that is caused by a viral infection, an accident or injury, or by an underlying disease, it interrupts the flow of messages that are sent between your brain and the rest of your body. However, in most all cases of carpel tunnel syndrome, the cause is from a nerve compression.

 

Carpal tunnel syndrome is result of a compression of the medium nerve which is the nerve that runs on the palm side of your hand through a small channel in the wrist. The carpel tunnel is basically inflexible since it is surrounded by a very tough ligament on one side and bones one the other three sides. The actual compression of the nerve is caused by fibrous bands of tissue located inside of the carpel tunnel that are squeezing the nerve.

 

Even though this syndrome is most often associated with stress that is caused by repetition, there are some experts that now believe it may actually be caused by chemical changes that are associated with inflammation, one reason that Vitamin B6 is so effective in combating it.

 

This syndrome is not technically an inflammation condition as there appears to be no action by the immune system to fight inflammation. However, it has been identified by several localized increases in pro-inflammatory chemicals that are found inside the actual carpel tunnel itself, which may explain many of the symptoms.

 

Symptoms:

 

There are several symptoms that are associated with Carpal tunnel syndrome and every one of them start very slowly and develop as this condition becomes worse as anyone that suffers from it can attest to. The first symptom to set in will be numbness in the affected wrist which is almost immediately followed by a very sharp pain. It downright hurts as by this point it is extremely painful to even move the wrist and the hand.

 

The telling sign that you have this syndrome is than a numbness that affects every finger on your hand except your pinky, or your small finger. Once the pain has started, the next symptoms are both a burning as well as a tingling sensation that leads to a severe weakening of your muscles. At this point your hand and your wrist become very sensitive to most any movement as well as hurting if it is touched or accidentally hit.

 

Treatments:

 

For years the most common form of treatment for Carpal tunnel syndrome was a wrist splint that eased the pain but made it very difficult to function. For anyone that has never experienced this extremely painful syndrome, it is often looked upon with some degree of ridicule or someone that always has something wrong with them.

 

But they have never had it, have no idea how painful it actually is, and as a result, have no real clue of the pain that you are experiencing. However, for even the most seriously affected, it is still difficult to fully grasp that a Vitamin and other nutrients can actually not only treat this syndrome, but in most cases totally defeat this painful condition.

 

In an average diet, you can generally get about 1.4 milligrams of Vitamin B6 every day, but there is one major problem. Like any of the other water soluble vitamins, most of the nutrients found in this vitamin are destroyed in the food processing and the preparation stages. This vitamin is considered by many experts to be as critical to your body as both oxygen and water.

 

The reason for this is very simple and it explains why is so very effective at treating Carpal tunnel syndrome. It plays an extremely important part of your brains ability to function properly. This nutrient helps to create neurotransmitters which are the chemicals that allow the brain cells to communicate to each other and are also critical in the transmission process to the peripheral nerves.

 

It is also believed that because this vitamin is so diluted in most of our daily diets, that it can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks after supplementation to build it back to a point that it can function at 100 percent of its intended capability. A deficiency of Vitamin B6 leads to nerve damage in the hands as well as the feet and it is this deficiency that is believed to be the cause of the tingling sensations that you feel with CTS.

 

The recommend dosage to be completely successful in fighting Carpal tunnel syndrome can range from 50 mg to 300 mg daily, depending on the severity as well as how depleted your body is of this critical transmitting nutrient. You should always check with your physician about both the dosage and the duration when taking more than recommended amounts.

 

This vitamin becomes even more effective when combined with Vitamin B1, Thiamine, and Vitamin B12 as it than produces a natural pain killing affect that assists your body’s natural pain conduction systems.

 

But there are still other nutrients that can help you in this battle against this painful syndrome. Even though inflammation does not seem to be systematic with this condition, it is still a contributing factor. Fish oil is very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is a natural anti-inflammatory factor agent, as is Curcumin. Curcumin has been used for centuries and is a component of the spice Turmeric which is world renown for its anti-inflammatory effects.

 

One teaspoon full daily mixed with water, milk, or sprinkled on food will do wonders for most all inflammatory condition, and CTS is no expectation. Ginger has also been used for centuries and is especially effective in reducing inflammation caused by arthritis.

 

Summary:

 

Carpal tunnel syndrome and Vitamin B6 do have very strong connections. This very painful condition may simply need to be assisted in the transmission activities of the peripheral nerves, and the most effective natural agent is Vitamin B6.