Have you ever experienced a tingling pain in your hand and wrist or a sharp pain shooting up the arm? There is a possible chance that you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common symptom experienced among office workers, especially among women.
unnel of the wrist. The median nerve is one of the largest nerves branching from the brachial plexus of the arm. It is the only nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel of the wrist. The carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel-like structure in the wrist consisting of ligaments around the wrist (carpal) bones. The transverse carpal ligament wraps the palmar surface of the wrist, where the flexor tendons of the fingers and median nerve pass. When the transverse carpal ligament is inflamed, impingement of the median nerve may occur, resulting in either numbness, tingling or weakness of specific portions of the hand. Left untreated, these symptoms may become permanent.How does carpal tunnel syndrome develop?
The impingement of the median nerve can be caused several different ways. One of most common is an improper ergonomic set up, causing an individual to have an improper overuse of the muscles in the area, closing down the space available for the median nerve to reside. Another possibility is sleeping patterns and compression overnight of the carpal tunnel, leading to chronic inflammation in the area.
Numbness and tingling in the hand and arm doesn’t always mean you have carpal tunnel syndrome, however. Two other nerves that can get entrapped are the ulnar and radial nerves, which can also be compressed and lead to different patterns of numbness and tingling. Nerve compression at the neck can lead to lack of sensation down the arm and hand. Pain can also be referred from tight and tender overused muscles. Proper physical examination from a trained professional is always necessary to determine the cause of your symptoms.
Studies have shown that conservative chiropractic care of carpal tunnel syndrome is significantly successful in the long term for relief of symptoms. The clinicians at SF Custom Chiropractic have advanced training in Active Release Technique for the soft tissue, along with chiropractic manipulations to the bones of the wrist to restore alignment and motion freeing up space for the nerve to travel in the carpal tunnel. In stubborn cases, kinesiotape is applied to assist in creating proper movements of the wrist and relieve pressure on the nerve. They also have experience in relieving symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome by optimizing ergonomic workplace settings.
