Review: The CarpalAID Hand Patch – Relieves Hand & Wrist Pain Associated With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

As a knitter or crocheter, do you ever experience hand pain? If so, keep reading …

CarpalAID is a terrific little hand patch that’s designed to help with carpal tunnel syndrome, an injury caused by repetitive motion (knitting, hello) which affects 3-5% of employed adults aged 18-64. There are many names for repetitive motion injuries – repetitive motion disorder, repetitive stress injury – and carpal tunnel syndrome is one of them.

From The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS):

Repetitive motion disorders are a family of muscular conditions that result from repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or daily activities. RMDs include carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, tendonitis, epicondylitis, ganglion cyst, tenosynovitis, and trigger finger. RMDs are caused by too many uninterrupted repetitions of an activity or motion, unnatural or awkward motions such as twisting the arm or wrist, overexertion, incorrect posture, or muscle fatigue.

That definitely describes knitting (and crocheting too, for you crocheters reading this)! Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the palm of the hand, becomes choked at the wrist. This nerve provides feeling to the palm side of the thumb and to most of the fingers and when impacted, symptoms include numbness, tingling, weakness, and sometimes pain. If left untreated, it may require surgery.

Before surgery becomes necessary, there a few things you can do. First, you could try the treatment regiment known a R.I.C.E.

R – Rest from any activity that increases your pain. (what? stop knitting?! you’re killing me…)
I – Ice the injured area for 20 minutes every 2 hours.
C – Compress the injured area with a compression bandage to minimize swelling.
E – Elevate the injured area.

That’s a lot of work, right? Save yourself some time and energy, give CarpalAID a try.

Developed by an engineer who experienced CTS firsthand, The CarpalAID patch is designed to relieve pressure on the median nerve, the cause of CTS pain. It works by creating negative pressure on the median nerve to relieve the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s very easy to apply, simply wash your hands, peel back the adhesive on the tab, and place firmly onto the skin.

At first I was worried that it was going to fall off because the adhesive is almost undetectable – you don’t really feel the patch. My concerns were soon allayed … once I had the patch in place and applied, it was firmly secure and was definitely not coming off until I decided it was time to come off. Once I read a little more about the product, I understood why. CarpalAID is made with 3M medical grade adhesive which is designed to pull up the skin of the palm of the hand along with the underneath soft tissue (negative pressure) and release the pressure on the median nerve and relieve the pain. I appreciated the fact that it was comfortable to wear and that I could forget about it right away – I could knit with it!

If you have more questions or are curious to know more about how it works, check out CarpalAID’s terrific FAQ section.

All in all, I’m quite happy to recommend this product. It’s well made and if you’re suffering from CTS, CarpalAID is a low-risk / low-cost remedy that’s definitely worth a try.

PRO TIP: CarpalAID may be covered by your private insurance carrier as well as State Worker’s Compensation Insurance programs for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment. Learn more about potential insurance reimbursement here.