Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the median nerve being compressed as it travels through the wrist. Symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling in the hand and wrist. This is an extremely painful condition that affects millions of people.
Chiropractic medicine is a very effective way to treat carpal tunnel syndrome without drugs or surgery.
The first thing to understand is that the median nerve begins in the lower neck and travels through the shoulder, armpit, upper arm, elbow, forearm, and wrist before it finally reaches the hand.
This is a perilous course and the nerve can get pinched in any of these areas and still cause pain only in the wrist and hand. Many people with a median nerve compressed in the shoulder or upper arm are mistakenly diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.
A thorough chiropractic examination will determine the exact location of the problem so that treatment will be effective and efficient.
True carpal tunnel syndrome is when the nerve is compressed in the wrist itself. The wrist is a compact region made up of 8 tiny bones and an array of muscle tendons, blood vessels, and nerves. If any of these bones get jammed out of place, the carpal tunnel will become smaller and the median nerve will get squeezed.
Furthermore, if any of the tendons in the wrist become overused and inflamed they will swell up – also putting excess pressure on the median nerve. This is common with repetitive movements such as typing, cleaning, painting, and gardening.
Chiropractic care is effective for treating carpal tunnel syndrome because it takes a whole body approach. Deep tissue massage to the forearm will help reduce the inflammation and swelling of the tendons in the wrist.
Gentle chiropractic care will correct the alignment of the wrist and hand bones. Home exercises will strengthen the hand and arm muscles to prevent a recurrence of pain. Lastly, but equally important, nutrition and supplement information will be discussed to help the nerves heal properly.