Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Conditions / Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A diagram illustrating hand nerves and their association with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is a U-shaped passage for several tendons in your wrist.  This passage also holds the median nerve. Your median nerve allows for movement and feeling  on the palm side of your first 3 ½ fingers.

Stress to muscles, joints and tendons around the carpal tunnel can trap the median nerve and cause numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve entrapment, affecting 3-5% of the general population.  

Risk Factors

Prolonged wrist flexion and/or repeated wrist motions like typing can often be the cause.  Vibration or cold can also worsen the condition.

CTS  is more common in your dominant hand but can also affect both hands at once.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is more common during pregnancy.   In addition, thyroid disease, kidney disease and diabetes are also risk factors.

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What Are The Symptoms?

The palm side of your thumb, index, middle finger and half of your ring finger may tingle, feel numb, or painful.  Sometimes this will extend towards your elbow. You will first notice the problem at night or waking up, but this can rapidly progress to a constant annoyance.

Your symptoms likely feel worse during gripping activities such as holding a book while reading, driving or painting. Early on, you may be able to reduce your symptoms by simply “shaking your hands out”.  You may sometimes feel as though your hands are tight or swollen. In more severe cases, your hands may become weak.

 

How To Treat CTS

Active Release Techniques is a treatment that includes protocols to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.   An ART-Certified provider who is certified in upper extremity or nerve entrapments may have decent results with treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  

The carpal tunnel itself is made of 8 carpal bones which can become stiff.  Carpal Mobilization (or adjustment) is used by many chiropractors to treat problems in the wrist to help with carpal tunnel syndrome.  

Most Carpal Tunnel Syndrome cases improve dramatically in as little as one treatment, and usually resolves within six.   Results are better when measures are taken to protect the wrist from further strain during the treatment phase.  

The median nerve may also be trapped in the forearm (Pronator Syndrome). In addition, there can be related problems in the axilla, shoulder and neck.  A skilled chiropractor will always examine and treat the related areas when appropriate.   

In challenging cases, a chiropractor may recommend Class-4 Laser Therapy to speed up the recovery.  

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A woman demonstrates symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as she sits on a couch with her hands on her wrist.

Recovering From CTS

Without treatment, your forearm can sustain permanent nerve damage.  In some cases conservative care does not work, and your chiropractor will send you for a surgical consult.  The American Academy of Neurology recommends conservative treatment, like the type provided in our office, before going down the surgical route.

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