CHICAGO -- Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when a nerve in the wrist becomes pinched. Numbness and pain often send patients to the doctor looking for relief, and surgery is often the option offered, but there are some alternative approaches for these patients.

"It's hard to live life with, and then it gets painful, and then you get tingling sensations. It's very annoying," said Caren Cinnamon, who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome.

She said the condition made using her hands nearly impossible.

"I was dropping things. I couldn't play the piano properly. I had a tough time with the computer," Cinnamon said.

The same problem almost cost Frank Schramek his job.

"Parts of the job were impossible. If you were holding something, you'd drop it and not even know it was gone," Schramek said.

Schramek and Cinnamon aren't alone. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects about 5 million Americans. While surgery is highly successful, Dr. Mark Cohen, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said there are more conservative options.

"We typically begin with a cortisone injection and a nighttime brace that they sleep in, and that leads to significant improvement in a substantial number of patients," Cohen said.

He said that treatment works for about one-third of patients. Cohen said oral steroids may help relieve pressure, and drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen can also ease the pain.

Cohen said some studies show laser acupuncture or yoga may help in cases of carpal tunnel by reducing pain and improving grip strength.

Schramek and Cinnamon found relief with a painless laser. It repairs damaged cells and reduces inflammation. They both said it beats surgery.

"The surgeons always think they have to cut to make you better. There's always an alternative," Schramek said.

"Surgery, for me, is the last option in anything," Cinnamon said.

Women are three times more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome than men. The injury is also more common among diabetics. Cohen said patients often mistake symptoms of arthritis for carpal tunnel syndrome.

You can get more information by visiting the Web site for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.