The Best Treatment Method For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

By Tom Nicholson

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common "repetitive injury" disorder that can have an increased incidence in smokers. Because smoking diminishes the amount of oxygen in the blood, this means that the supply of oxygen to the body is also diminished, including that to the hands and wrists. When you smoke, you also have more problems with inflammation and capillary narrowing. Therefore, flareups of carpal tunnel syndrome can be reduced or prevented if you don't yet have it if you are a smoker and you quit smoking.

Unfortunately, smoking is very, very difficult to quit for many of those who do. Smoking has been called one of the most addictive habits in the world, similar to heroin addiction, in fact. It's so addictive that those who smoke do so even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it's extremely unhealthy. And although many light up with a smile on their faces, many do so with guilt. Smoking can relax smokers, and it can give them a burst of energy both mentally and physically that helps them stay calm under pressure. Many people who smoke also like the taste of the tobacco and in fact consider smoking a sensual experience. State and local governments have begun to take advantage of this smoking addiction by taxing cigarettes and other tobacco products significantly and thus helping to fill state coffers. Those who support high cigarettes and tobacco product taxes defend their position by saying that such high taxes will cause people to voluntarily quit smoking, even though this isn't true for many people. In fact, relatively few people have quit smoking at least to the present time because of these taxes. Nonetheless, governments continue to impose them because it brings in monies. The fact that smokers continue to smoke even in the face of these high taxes only underscores how hard it can be to quit smoking.

It can also be difficult to quit smoking because no two people who share the habit are entirely alike, so that one program that will enable a person to quit smoking will not be of help to another person. To that end, many different methods have been formulated to help people quit smoking.

One relatively recent development on the market that has helped smokers break the habit is the nicotine patch. The nicotine patch is a transdermal patch that attaches to the skin's surface and delivers a slow, steady stream of nicotine through the skin into the bloodstream. Although nicotine isn't the only chemical in cigarettes, it is considered to be the one that is the most addictive in cigarettes; therefore, by partially "replacing" the dosage of nicotine gotten through cigarettes with a different method of delivery, the transdermal patch, the craving for cigarettes can be eased enough that for many people, smoking cessation is possible. Some patch programs advocate using the "step down" method, with different strengths of patches used throughout the smoking cessation program. For example, a stronger dosage of nicotine is delivered with the first patches when the program is begun, and gradually, the dosage of nicotine is reduced. And it is true that these patches can be quite effective, with up to 55% of people using them having the ability to break the habit. One drawback to these patches is that they aren't cheap, and they also don't address every reason smokers may smoke. They can be inconvenient to wear, and they can irritate the skin where they've been placed as well.

Another way to quit smoking is by using a psychological approach. In this case, smokers may begin to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke on a daily basis, such as one fewer a day than normal; when this new lower level of smoking is comfortable, they drop another cigarette out of their daily allotment. Once smokers reach a level at which they only smoke a cigarette or two a day, they may be able to quit. Still other smokers keep an unopened package of cigarettes around to have "just in case," but the psychological effect of having a pack of cigarettes there to smoke should they have a craving is enough to keep them away from the cigarettes.

There are also those who have developed supplements, whether herbal or other "natural" supplements, to help people quit smoking. Again, these do work for some people, but quitting itself is a crapshoot for many smokers, and no one method works for everyone.

If you would rather solve your CTS without the problems of quitting smoking, you can always try specially designed physical exercises that diminish, remove, and then prevent the onset of CTS. Why not look them up first, if you're a smoker with carpal tunnel syndrome? - 30540

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