Instantly Relieve Your Carpal Tunnel Pain With These Pressure Points

The carpal tunnel consists of several bones that surround several tendons, and the transverse carpal ligament forms the "roof" of the tunnel (via Mayo Clinic). The median nerve runs through this tunnel and provides feeling in your fingers. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there's compression on this median nerve. You'll feel this as numbing or tingling in your fingers, but you could also feel pain radiating up your arm. Your hand can get weak from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Although you could get a wrist splint or do wrist exercises to relieve the pressure on the nerve, you could also turn to acupressure to get some relief. According to a 2017 article in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, acupressure uses the same principles as acupuncture, which stimulates the flow of Qi by activating acupoints at specific places in the body. These acupoints are close to the skin and correspond to different areas of the body.

According to Kaiser Permanente, three acupoints can address pain in the carpal tunnel. The first point is the Pericardium 6, which is found three finger widths below the crease on your inner wrist. There are two tendons there, and this acupoint is between them. This acupoint can also relieve headaches, chest pain, and nausea. The second acupoint is the Large Intestine 4. If you squeeze your thumb and index finger together, you'll notice a small muscle that pops up at the base of the back of your hand. Large Intestine 4 is located at the peak of this muscle. The third acupoint is the Triple Burner 3, and it's found just below the knuckles of your ring and pinky finger on the back of your hand.

To apply acupressure to these points, use a firm, circular motion for 30 to 60 seconds, according to Kaiser Permanente. If one point is particularly sore, use lighter pressure to stimulate that area. Although these three acupoints can address wrist pain, it's not necessary to stimulate all three. If one feels better, stay on that point for one or two minutes.