Are carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel common in CFS?
Dr. T,
I have CFS, and recently I found out that I have both carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel on both arms. My orthopedic surgeon told me this only happens to old people, but I'm in my late twenties. Could this have something to do with my CFS? What can I do to improve this? I already wear wrist splints at night. Thank you!
Answer
Actually carpal tunnel syndrome is fairly common in fibromyalgia, occurring in almost a third of cases. The same factors that trigger that can trigger other compression issues. In old people, it may occur because of severe arthritic changes. In younger people with CFS, it tends to be associated with inadequate thyroid function (despite normal blood tests), and vitamin B6 deficiency. In my patients, I give Armour Thyroid plus vitamin B6 200 mg a day (along with the night time wrist splint) and this usually helps resolve the problem in 6 to 12 weeks.
Love and blessings,
Dr. T
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the most frequently quoted post viral CFS, fibromyalgia, energy, sleep and pain medical authorities in the world. He is the author of 12 books including You Can Heal from Long Covid, the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic!, Pain Free 1-2-3, The Complete Guide to Beating Sugar Addiction, Real Cause Real Cure, The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution, and the popular free Smart Phone app Cures A-Z. He is the lead author of eight research studies and three medical textbook chapters on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Teitelbaum appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide, including past appearances on Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and FoxNewsHealth.
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