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Question:
Is there anything that can help carpal tunnel syndrome short of surgery?
Answer:
Yes. Vitamin B6 supplementation appears to be quite helpful in many cases. John Ellis, M.D., and Karl Folkers, Ph.D., and their coworkers at the University of Texas have conducted double-blind studies and have successfully treated hundreds of patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome with vitamin B6. It may take as long as three months to produce a benefit, but vitamin B6 is effective in many cases.
The effectiveness of vitamin B6 can be enhanced by giving it along with other B vitamins, especially riboflavin (vitamin B2). In one study, vitamin B2 was shown to be useful in the treatment of CTS, with an even greater effect seen when it was combined with vitamin B6. Riboflavin functions in converting vitamin B6 into its more active form, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.
Given the safety and positive clinical studies with vitamin B6 in reasonable dosages (e.g., 25-50 mg three times daily), a trial of vitamin B6 certainly seems worth a try before opting for surgery.
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