Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Rachel began coming into our office with many problems that arose from her long time career as a nail technician. She had neck and shoulder pain, low back pain, and one of her biggest issues was Carpal Tunnel in both of her hands. She described her pain as severe, an 8 on a scale from 0-10, and said she was having numbness radiating up her arms. The pain was affecting her work as well as her home life.
On her first visit to our office, we did a complete consultation with Rachel and took Chiropractic x-rays. Dr. Chris quickly found many areas in her spine and neck with misalignment’s which were directly contributing to Rachel’s pain and numbness. She was put on a care plan tailored to helping her pain and numbness which included regular manual adjustments, muscle gun stimulation, postural rehabilitation, and ice therapy. Just two short months later, Rachel reported having moderate improvement and stated she was able to work longer hours. One year later, she stated she was feeling “wonderful”, able to work again without any pain, and also mentioned how much her posture improved! The pain and numbness she was having in her hands and arms from Carpal Tunnel had decreased, and she stated she was able to do so much more physically than she was able to do before she came into our office.
Rachel continues to come in a few times a month to maintain all the progress she made in our office, and is a great patient of ours! Most of the time, Rachel now rates her pain and numbness between 0-2, which is a long way from the 8’s she listed when she first came in.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that causes pain, numbness, and weakness in the fingers and hands. This is usually due to repetitive hand or wrist motion, holding something for a prolonged period of time, or bending your wrist often, like when typing, using a phone, driving, or doing work related repetitive motions. This eventually causes inflammation and compression of the median nerve in the wrist. This large nerve travels through a narrow passageway in the hands called the carpal tunnel, which gives sensations to the fingers and thumb. It also directly controls movement in the hands. Anything that squeezes or irritates the median nerve may lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This can also occur from swelling from arthritis or other diseases.
What are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Numbness or tingling in the wrist, hand, thumb, or fingers, burning sensations, pain in the hand that can travel up the forearm, shock-like sensations, weakness or clumsiness in the hand, and difficulty gripping objects. Symptoms usually begin gradually and may come and go at first, however, as the condition worsens, symptoms usually occur more frequently and last for longer periods of time.
What Kind of Problems Arise from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Untreated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can lead to persistent pain, weakness in the hands, wrists, and arms, as well as muscle loss. Permanent nerve damage can also occur, leading to reduced coordination and hand function. Loss of sensation and the ability to feel touch can occur, making it difficult to distinguish between hot and cold. To prevent irreversible damage, surgery may also be needed.
How Does Chiropractic Help?
Traditional treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include drugs, injections, and often surgery. Chiropractic is a safe and effective alternative for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Chiropractors are highly skilled in treating any joint in the body, and manipulation of the median nerve can relieve pressure and pain. Often misalignment’s in the spine can cause pain symptoms in the arm, wrist and hand, as nerves from the spine travel to all parts of the body. Manual adjustments to realign the spine relieve nerve pressure to all areas of the body.
What Does Macomb Township Chiropractic Offer?
We offer state of the art treatments that can help with your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Misalignment’s in the spine can be treated with manual adjustments and postural rehabilitation. Muscle stimulation and addressing trigger points (hard knots in the muscle) can help in soft tissue repair and a decrease of inflammation in the entire body, aiding in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pain. Dr. Chris is trained to manipulate the wrist or arm itself to eliminate nerve pressure on the median nerve. We also offer massage beds, heat and ice therapy, and disc decompression therapy, all which work to relieve nerve pressure, pain, and promote overall healing and wellness.
