Sugar jab to help ease painful wrists

A TYPE of sugar may help tackle the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects more than 1.5 million people in the UK.

In a recent study of 49 patients, those who were given injections of dextrose — a form of sugar derived from corn — subsequently reported significant reductions in pain and disability compared with an untreated control group, reports the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The theory is that compounds in the sugar hamper pain-signalling molecules and stimulate the tissue to heal. Carpal tunnel occurs when a nerve that runs into the hand becomes trapped at the wrist.