I suffered from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome about 1 month after the birth of my first child, Alycia.  The Chinese would say that the lady in confinement had ‘yup foong’, which literally means that wind has ‘entered’ the body during the 1-month confinement period. 

It was so painful that I couldn’t sleep at night and for one who can pretty much endure pain, I was even in tears at night.   The pain eased a little when I used a hot pack and some deep heat cream on my affected hands.  During the attacks where I would suffer from hand numbness to a tingling sensation to a sharp burning pain on my hands, I had to shake my hands to reduce the numbness and pain.  Allevating my hands on a pillow also helped a great deal. 

For 2-3 months, my hands felt weak and I could not even hold a milk bottle or open the door.  I did not know that I was suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome until I read about the symptoms from the internet.  I didn’t know why I had suffered from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome but I was lucky that the pain subsided after 3 months without medication.   However, I would still have pins and needles and numbness on my hands occasionally up until today.  I realize that this normally happens when I sleep in a room that’s too cold or I had been sleeping on my hands on my sides.

Treatments and drugs
Some people with mild symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can ease their discomfort by taking more frequent breaks to rest their hands and applying cold packs to reduce occasional swelling. If these techniques don’t offer relief, carpal tunnel syndrome treatment options include wrist splinting, medications and surgery.

Nonsurgical therapy
Most people with carpal tunnel syndrome experience effective treatment with nonsurgical methods, including:

Wrist splinting. A splint that holds your wrist still while you sleep can help relieve nighttime symptoms of tingling and numbness. Splinting is more likely to help you if you’ve had only mild to moderate symptoms for less than a year.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs may help relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome if you have an associated inflammatory condition. If no inflammatory condition is involved, NSAIDs are unlikely to help relieve your symptoms.

Corticosteroids. Your doctor may inject your carpal tunnel with a corticosteroid, such as cortisone, to relieve your pain. Corticosteroids decrease inflammation, thus relieving pressure on the median nerve. Oral corticosteroids aren’t as effective as corticosteroid injections for treating carpal tunnel syndrome.

Prevention
There are no proven strategies to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, but to protect your hands from a variety of ailments, take the following precautions:

Reduce your force and relax your grip.
Most people use more force than needed to perform many tasks involving the hands. If your work involves a cash register, for instance, hit the keys softly. For prolonged handwriting, use a big pen with an oversized, soft grip adapter and free-flowing ink. This way you won’t have to grip the pen tightly or press as hard on the paper.

Take frequent breaks.
Every 15 to 20 minutes give your hands and wrists a break by gently stretching and bending them. Alternate tasks when possible. If you use equipment that vibrates or that requires you to exert a great amount of force, taking breaks is even more important.

Watch your form.
Avoid bending your wrist all the way up or down. A relaxed middle position is best. If you use a keyboard, keep it at elbow height or slightly lower.

Improve your posture.
Incorrect posture can cause your shoulders to roll forward. When your shoulders are in this position, your neck and shoulder muscles are shortened, compressing nerves in your neck. This can affect your wrists, fingers and hands.

Keep your hands warm.
You’re more likely to develop hand pain and stiffness if you work in a cold environment. If you can’t control the temperature at work, put on fingerless gloves that keep your hands and wrists warm.

Information taken from mayoclinic.com.