You're typing away without a care in the world, and suddenly that familiar feeling creeps in — your wrist tightens and a dull ache spreads up your arm. This is a hallmark sign of carpal tunnel, a common condition in which the tissues surrounding a nerve in the wrist swell and put pressure on the nerve. The pain can range from sharp and stabbing to mild and aching, but it is wholly unpleasant and keeps you from working and doing what you love. Luckily, you have a few options for managing carpal tunnel pain.

1. Wrist Splint

One of the least invasive options is to wear a wrist splint during the day, and sometimes even at night. This splint is designed to keep your wrist from moving too much, which takes the pressure off your nerve and helps prevent pain. It's generally possible to write, type, and do other basic tasks with a splint on, although you may struggle to do more involved athletic things like lift weights or swing a tennis racket. You can find wrist splints at most pharmacies. If they do not fit you well, then you may want to meet with a pain management doctor who can special-order one for you.

2. Cortisone Injections

If a splint does not work, you may want to look into cortisone injections for your wrist. Cortisone is a steroid that helps your body speed the healing process by reducing inflammation. Since the pain of carpal tunnel is basically due to inflammation in the wrist tissues, cortisone injections can be really helpful, and they work fast. The one downfall is that the injections themselves can be pretty painful. They last a couple of months, and you will probably need a few repeat treatments before the pain subsides entirely — if it ever does.

3. Ice

This is a good quick fix on days when the pain is really getting to you. Just immerse your wrist in a bowl of ice water, and leave it there for 15 minutes or so. The ice will relieve inflammation, thereby reducing your pain. If you use your wrists a lot at work, icing your wrists at the end of every day is also a good preventative strategy that can keep carpal tunnel from worsening over time.

Carpal tunnel can be painful, but most cases are manageable. Consult with a pain management doctor for more tips and advice.