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11 Carpal Tunnel Home Remedies for Crocheters
Finding carpal tunnel relief from crochet related hand pain can seem overwhelming at times. When I was diagnosed, I got LOADS of advice about carpal tunnel pain remedies from other crocheters and a few very scary possible treatment plan options, including possible surgery or joint injections.
But there are many useful home remedies for carpal tunnel that you can try first. These carpal tunnel home treatments can work wonders in reducing your hand pain from crocheting, especially when used under the guidance of your doctor or physical therapist.
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and this does not constitute medical advice. I encourage you to visit your physician if you’re experiencing carpal tunnel symptoms or pain.
11 Easy Home Treatments for Carpal Tunnel
1. Stretch, and use massage.
There are several great stretches that help stimulate blood flow in your hands and wrists. Try to remember to stretch before you crochet, and about every 15 minutes if you crochet for longer intervals. Using small resistance bands for the hands can help strengthen your grip as well. Stronger hands mean less strain from crocheting.
My physical therapist also recommended using a deep tissue roller ball (or a lacrosse or tennis ball in a pinch) to roll my thumb joint and my opposite forearm. You might have one at home that would do! If you also have shoulder pain from crocheting, you can use the massage ball to help loosen your upper back and chest muscles, too.
2. Ice your wrists to ease carpal tunnel inflammation.
Cold therapy can be helpful for wrists in small increments. You can simply freeze a non carbonated beverage can and use that, or purchase cold compress packs for your wrists.
3. Elevate your crochet project.
Using a small pillow to elevate your project can relieve a lot of the stress on your hands and neck. Nursing pillows like this work really well! So if you happen to have one lying around, put it to work again! You could use regular pillows of course, but that may not give enough support to your elbows.
4. Take anti-inflammatory supplements for carpal tunnel relief.
Some of my readers recommended some different supplements they take to help reduce inflammation and ease joint pain. Turmeric, B Vitamins, Omega-3 Fish oil, and Tart Cherry Juice are some of the most common recommendations.
These are readily available at my local grocery store or pharmacy, as well as online. I’ve started taking Turmeric in addition to my physical therapy and while it’s too early to say for sure, I do feel my symptoms improving.
5. Consider an anti-inflammatory diet.
This one does take a bit longer, but especially combined with the previous step, it could make a HUGE difference. Following an anti inflammatory diet can help alleviate the pressure on your nerves, including your carpal tunnel and median nerves.
One of my readers mentioned in my other carpal tunnel remedies post that following this diet relieved her symptoms greatly. I’m looking forward to learning more about how food can help ease those symptoms.
6. Wear Wrist Support Braces for Sleep.
My doctor recommended I wear a very heavy duty wrist brace for sleeping. Many people sleep in positions that compress their carpal tunnel nerves, which puts a lot of strain on them. The one pictured below is the exact wrist brace my doctor prescribed (but in black instead of taupe).
7. Use Hand Compression Gloves.
Since the wrist braces pictured above completely restrict joint movement, they don’t work well for knitting or crocheting. Many crocheters find a light wrist support can alleviate symptoms when worn while crocheting. You can find soft knitting stress relief gloves, or copper compression gloves, among other options.
Click Here to Purchase on Amazon
8. Rest Your Hands.
We could all use some rest. Yes, even from our crochet projects, sometimes! Unfortunately, I was unable to find any naps for sale on Amazon. Yes, I looked… the closest thing I came up with is this awesome t-shirt. Ha!
But rest doesn’t always mean you have to completely stop crocheting. Consider working on your crochet projects in smaller chunks instead. Set a ten minute timer while you’re crocheting, and get up to drink some water, stretch your hands and rest your eyes after it goes off. Your hands will thank you!
9. Take an Over the Counter Anti-Inflammatory Medicine.
Using NSAIDs, or Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs, can relieve some of the inflammation that causes carpal tunnel pain. Some common NSAIDs include:
- Naproxen / Aleve
- Ibuprofen / Motrin or Advil
- Aspirin / Bayer
Pain killers like Tylenol/Paracetamol relieve pain but do not control inflammation. In theory, they would treat only the pain, but not relieve the inflammation.
Remember- you need to rest a little in conjunction with taking medicines!
10. Try a Topical Hand Cream With Pain Relievers.
There are several brands of hand creams that contain topical analgesics to soothe pain or relieve inflammation. Biofreeze cream, Salonpas pain patches, and Theraworx foam were recommended to me by readers who also suffer from carpal tunnel.
11. Use Ergonomic Crochet Hooks.
Wider, softer grips can ease the tension in your hands and help improve your hand position while crocheting. Here are some popular crochet hooks to consider:
- Furls Crochet Hooks
- Clover Amour Crochet Hooks
- Addi Swing Crochet Hooks
- Tulip Etimo Rose hooks
- Crochet Dude Ergonomic Handle Attachment
Do you have more Carpal Tunnel Tips to share?
If you have a quick tip for relieving hand pain from carpal tunnel, please share with us in the comments. If we work together, we can make a resource for crocheters to find the support they need to keep crocheting!
Neil Barnum says
i’ve been trying to stretch my hands when they hurt. i recently got a wrist splint to wear when i’m not drawing/painting, as well as trying to use my left hand for easy tasks (brushing hair, using phone etc). it’s helping a little bit. i think the wrist splint is the most useful. I saw this about relief using a TENS?? have you heard of this?
https://www.tenscare.co.uk/does-tens-unit-help-carpal-tunnel-syndrome
Katie says
Hi Neil,
Thanks for sharing your experience! I have tried to switch a bit to using my left hand, too, I change my computer mouse over when I’m not editing videos. My husband has a TENS for his back, but I hadn’t thought to try for carpal tunnel. Thanks for the link to read!
Katie
Karen says
I also use arnica ointment on my wrist where thumb connects. I get mine from Mexico, it is a salve the absorbs into the skin
Katie says
That sounds like something to look into! Thanks for the recommendation.
Katie
Rosalie McCreary says
I too use arnica cream! My medical massage therapist recommended it a few years ago after I had a fender bender and experienced neck and shoulder pain. I always have it on hand. Read the package though! No nsaids while using and no heat! I buy mine from Walgreens, USA. Thanks for all the other suggestions! I use many of them! Mikey from the Crochet Crowd has a Crochet 101. The first thing he says is sit in an upright chair with arms (if available) and put your skein of yarn on a table next to you at about the same level as your arms. Lest stress on you and the yarn! Check it out! Thanks for letting me comment!
Valerie Cannon says
I had carpal tunnel surgery and trigger finger release on both hands a few years ago. I am on a computer daily from about 8:00 am till around 4:00 pm – and noticed that my right hand was starting to give me problems again and I had another trigger finger. I had booked another appointment to see the surgeon however, in the meantime, a good friend (a TCM physician) recommended that I try cupping. He gave me a small one to try and showed me how to use it. I just used Coconut Oil as the base, and then suctioned the cup to the palm of my hand, moving it slowing up and down, and around and around, and near where the trigger finger was as well. Every time it popped, I would just re-suction it. Amazingly, after a few weeks, the pain disappeared and it released my trigger finger resulting in me cancelling the appointment with the surgeon. It’s worth a try as it worked for me!
Katie says
Oh that’s really interesting, Valerie! I’ve heard of cupping and part of my physical therapy included it for certain spots on my neck to help release some tension there, but it’s interesting that it could be used on the hands, also. I’ll have to look into it!
Thanks for sharing,
Katie
Christine Bravo-Cullen says
When my finger joints hurt, I get quick relief with Rhus Tox homeopathic remedy.
Katie says
I’ll have to research that! Glad it’s helpful for you.
Katie
Melissa says
I use a tens unit for my carpal tunnel and it really helps. I did physical therapy for a while, and that was always how the sessions started. They wrapped a hot pad around the area while I was using it, so at home, I made a microwavable rice pack to use. It is very soothing. The physical therapist also recommended doing hand exercises with putty – I use Aaron’s Thinking Putty and it is great and much less expensive than the putty from the therapists office.
I am curious how you use the nursing pillow for crochet. Would you be able to post a photo? I’m not a mom, so I’ve never used one for it’s traditional purpose.
Katie says
Hi Melissa,
That’s an interesting idea! My husband has a TENS unit for his back and he said it helps a lot, but I haven’t tried it. I definitely agree that the heat therapy is wonderful, though. I’ll have to try making a rice pack too!
I don’t currently have a nursing pillow as my youngest outgrew it a few years back, but it wraps around your front and supports your arms. You could get a similar result by simply propping your crochet project up on your lap on top of a throw pillow, too.
Hope that helps,
Katie
Janet Alexander says
I take a crochet break and do my dishes by hand. The warm water really helps ease tired hands. And daily stretches also help.
Katie says
Hi Janet,
That’s such a great idea! I bet the warm water would feel great. I agree about the daily stretches! They really add up to make a big difference when you’re consistent with them.
Katie
Merry says
Thanks for sharing but eventually surgery is the only option that cures this and takes away all the pain. I ended up with the surgery and had it done on both of my hands. Now I’m fighting bone on bone in both of my hands the cartilage has worn out and so when they hurt too bad I end up with cortisone shots. My thumbs hurt the worse. I’m not ready for surgery as it will remove bones and my thumbs will be reattached with tendons. So I live with all of it. It’s life after all. We all use and sometimes abuse our hands while working. I can’t take Aleve or ibuprofen so Tylenol is the only thing I can take. Arthritis suck 😂 But that’s what u have to look forward to when u age.
Katie says
Hi Merry,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve definitely chatted with my medical team and I’m aware that most hand pain problems don’t completely resolve even with lots of help. That said, I still want to do as much as I can to alleviate and reduce the discomfort so I can keep crocheting for many years to come!
I hope you are able to find at least a little relief, too. <3
Katie