Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome usually affects otherwise healthy individuals. Most people experience numbness and tingling in the hand, accompanied by weakness in gripping. These symptoms are due to compression of the median nerve which travels from the neck, through the muscles of your forearm and wrist, to the hand. Compression may be due to inflammation of the tendons at the wrist, can be a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis or other diseases, or result from injury or repetitive use among other things.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic treatment addresses all the possible causes of carpal tunnel syndrome. The key is in determining where the problem originates. If the condition arises from the wrist chiropractic adjustments are used to restore motion to locked-up bones in the wrist, and soft tissue techniques are used on the muscles and tissues around the wrist to reduce any causes of nerve irritation. If the problem arises from the muscles irritating the nerve then soft tissue techniques are used to break up scar tissue and relieve the nerve of excess pressure. In many cases, misalignments in the neck will cause irritation of the nerve. Chiropractic adjustments restore proper motion in the bones of the neck thereby relieving the nerve of any compression. As the patient recovers stretching and strengthening programs are prescribed to reduce recurrences. In some circumstances an individual may suffer from nerve compression in both the wrist and neck, this is referred to as "double crush". Fortunately, chiropractic addresses the origin of both problems.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy relieves pressure on the median nerve by stretching the tissue responsible for the condition. Massage will reduce scar tissue and treat any muscular compensation that may be taking place. The wrist bones may be loosened through "joint play" techniques, and any swelling can be decreased with lymphatic drainage.