A curious reader asked me whether it was helpful to use liniment for carpal tunnel syndrome. That’s a very good question.
Liniments act by distracting your brain from the pain. The distraction might only last as long as the sensation of the ointment or liniment but sometimes the effects last longer. This is because your body “forgets” the pain while it is distracted.
Some areas, for instance tight upper shoulders, will respond better and relax more than your carpal tunnel area itself but liniment won’t hurt to try. If you can be distracted for even a little while, that’s a good thing.
And there is another benefit to applying liniment–the rubbing itself!
Most liniments and therapeutic oils need
to be rubbed on. That’s massage, right?
Massage and rubbing are wonderful tools for carpal tunnel syndrome!
Some people swear by the herbal rub Tiger Balm. It is available at many drug and variety stores as well as Amazon. If you buy it, look for the white variety as the red variety can stain fabrics.
I happen to love a product called Kool n Fit. You don’t rub this one on. It has essential oils that absorb through your skin after spraying or splashing it on. It’s hard to find in stores but you can get it at Amazon. I especially love this one for neck and shoulders and I have loved it for almost 20 years! (Keep your underpants on to avoid this liquid running into sensitive areas. That would not be good.)
The rubs with hot red pepper (capcaicin) create a distraction, too. Some folks find them too “hot” and others love the effect. Again, the rubbing, even if it’s only a little, may be what helps the most. (Please be sure to see the comment from Donna, below, for more helpful info on this. You don’t want to get it into your eyes or on other sensitive parts so be sure to wear a disposable glove if you use it.)
You can find more information about massage here in the Massage Category.
You see, most often the cause of your hand and wrist pain is NOT in your hand or wrist. It is higher up in your lower arm, upper arm, back, chest or neck.
You have to be able to find out which area is causing your pain. Then you have to know what to do to get rid of that cause. That is why just rubbing around your wrist may not help, either with or without liniment. The pain in your hand is just the symptom.
Be sure to apply the liniment and rub in, if necessary, to surrounding areas, too, rather than only where it hurts.
So, liniment won’t cure your carpal tunnel symptoms but even if it helps you feel a little better for a little while, that’s a good thing.
And the rubbing you do when you apply the liniment or salve may help relax some of the muscles that may be causing your carpal tunnel syndrome.
Learning how to stretch and move properly, which nutrients and foods can help (or hurt) and more about massage to help relieve carpal tunnel pain naturally and forever can be found here.
Donna,
Thank you for this tip. Where it hurts is often not where the cause of the pain is but this is definitely worth a try!
Also, I appreciate your reminder to use a disposable glove. In fact, I’m going to put it in the article, right now.
Kathryn
We use capcaicin all the time for many body pains, Kathryn, and it is fantastic. We discovered that it actually works best for us when we put a tiny… very tiny, dot of it where the pain is, but do not rub. Otherwise, it becomes too hot.
We also wear a disposible glove when putting it on. Otherwise, residue stays on our fingers and can get in your eyes or on other tender parts of the body.