Pain, Numbness, and weakness of the hands are often associated or diagnosed as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel has become the catch all phrase for any condition involving one or more of the previous symptoms. The fact is that Carpal Tunnel is often over diagnosed and is often a condition that arises from problems further up the arm or from the neck.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome specifically must have the following:
- Numbness of the thumb, index, middle and ½ of the ring fingers.
- Pain in the hand and wrist area but not up the arm.
- A decrease in grip strength.
- A decrease of the muscle mass at the base of the thumb.
The presence of all of these is required for true Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Early stages can show some of these, but then so can other conditions like Guyon’s canal syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, double crush syndrome, pronator teres syndrome, and a cervical disc bulge to name a few. In order to have success with treatment you must first know what you’re dealing with, then you can make proper adjustments.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disorder caused by compression, or squeezing, of a nerve in the wrist. The wrist is composed of eight carpal bones that form a canal, known as the carpal tunnel. The median nerve and tendons that move the fingers pass through this tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome results from repetitive and forceful movements that can swell tendons in the carpal tunnel, pinching the median nerve and thereby reducing its function.
Chiropractic adjustments of the carpal bones and bones of the arm opens up the constriction within the carpal tunnel and relieves pressure on the median nerve and restores nerve function. We usually see results in as little as 1-2 weeks and often sooner. The recovery time is much shorter than surgery, far less painful and the cost is substantially lower.
Often times however there are other areas of constriction in the arm, shoulder or neck that lead to similar symptoms which can also be detected and corrected by a chiropractor who is trained in neurology and orthopedics. Recently the FDA has approved the use of low-level laser therapy for the reduction of pain that has also shown great promise in this area.
Please contact our office at 726-9179 for a consultation with our knowledgeable doctors who are specialists in the use of chiropractic and other non-intrusive, non-surgical methods for the relief of carpal tunnel symptoms.
