Chikungunya Precautions

It’s impossible to prevent the unforeseen events that often cause hand and wrist injuries, but these basic tips may offer some protection:

• Adopt good working posture
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce weight
• Quit alcohol and smoking
• Take healthy diet and adequate amount of calcium daily
• Light up your living space to prevent any injury
• If you spend long periods at a keyboard, take regular breaks. When you type, keep your wrist in a relaxed, neutral position.
• Wear wrist guards for high-risk activities, such as football, snowboarding and rollerblading.
• Avoid sleeping on your hands, which may decrease blood flow to your fingers.

Home Remedy of Hand and Wrist Pain

Not every cause of wrist pain requires medical treatment. For a minor wrist injury, you may need to try some home remedies like:

• Icing: Ice your wrist for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, once or twice an hour. Cold therapy is good for those suffering from hand arthritis. You can use ice packs, a plastic bag filled with crushed ice or a bag of frozen vegetables.

• Heat Therapy: Heat can also ease pain by relaxing muscles. Soak your hands and wrists in warm to hot water for 12 to 15 minutes before you go to bed each night.

• Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar has anti-inflammatory and alkaline-forming properties that help reduce pain and stiffness in the hands from arthritis.

Drink a glass of warm water mixed with one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar and some honey every day.

• Honey and Cinnamon: The combination of honey and cinnamon powder is a good natural way to treat hands and wrist pain. Mix one tablespoon of honey and one-half teaspoon of cinnamon powder.

Eat this mixture every morning on an empty stomach for several weeks or until you get encouraging results.

• Massage: Do gentle massage on the painful area with upward strokes.

• Gloves: If your peripheral neuropathy is due to CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome), osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, the use of gloves can be effective. Lumino Cielo provides highly specialized gloves that are effective in relieving pain, stiffness and swelling.

Treatment of Hand and Wrist Pain

Treatments for hand and wrist problems vary greatly, depending on the type, location and severity of the injury, as well as on your age and overall health. Treatment mainly comprises of:

1. RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression and elevation) for pain and swelling.
2. Wear a wrist splint at night to keep your wrist in a neutral position and relieve pressure on your median nerve.
3. Over the counter medications like Ibuprofen, acetaminophen etc.
4. Prescription medicines with strong analgesia
5. Surgery if pain is not relieved conservatively
6. Physical therapy (to improve muscle strength, circulation, movement, reducing inflammation, pain and chances of muscle dystrophy)