Suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Emmaus?

Living with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be very painful and affect many aspects of life.  Understanding the root cause of the problem is important to resolve any symptoms you may be experiencing.  Although, OTC medications may help temporarily it is not getting to the root cause and thereby the condition will worsen.  At Abundant Health Chiropractic in Emmaus, PA, Dr. Justin Graf is trained to identify the root cause of carpal tunnel syndrome and provide treatment and relief non-invasively. 

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

It is viewed as a painful condition of the wrist that is caused by compression or irritation of the median nerve.  The median nerve is one of the 3 primary nerves that supplies feeling and muscles in the arm, hand, and fingers.  Symptoms often affect one or more fingers with the exception of the little finger since it is supplied by a different nerve.

Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome include nerve damaging conditions like diabetes, obesity, workplace factors (prolonged and repetitive flexion of wrist), and women tend to be at higher risk than men.

Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

First, it is very important to identify the exact cause of your symptoms.  It is vital to distinguish between a true carpal tunnel syndrome or a different problem.  With a true carpal tunnel syndrome the median nerve becomes entrapped, compressed, inflamed, and irritated at an anatomical tunnel where the nerve passes in the wrist.

Often times the tendons and ligaments of the wrist develop scar tissue preventing proper gliding between those structures and the nerve. The tunnel is formed by the small bones in the wrist that create an arch or space for the median nerve to pass through. It is common for these bones to become misaligned causing a flattening in this arch thereby reducing the space for the nerve to pass.

It is important to realize that symptoms of carpal tunnel may not be caused by problems in the wrist. The nerve may be entrapped further upstream. Common entrapment sites are in the muscles of the forearm, shoulder, and neck.

But even more common, the source of the problem is usually coming from the alignment of the neck. Misalignments and disc issues can cause stress on the nerve roots that refer to the hand and fingers mimicking the carpal tunnel syndrome.

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

It is common to feel weakness, tingling, numbness, or pain in the affected hand and/or finger/s.  It can also be difficult to pick up objects using that hand and you may drop objects due to weakness.  People may feel there is swelling in the hand even though no swelling is present.  This condition may greatly impact someone’s lifestyle and sleep.  If left untreated, it can lead to permanent loss of movement in the hand.

Traditional treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Traditional treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome include wrist splints, anti-inflammatories, steroid injections, and surgery. Unfortunately, the majority of cases these treatments are ineffective and costly.

The reason why is that they may not be addressing the root cause of the problem.  Medications and rest will not fully resolve a problem of compression on the nerve. Also, in many cases the problem is not in the wrist at all.

Chiropractic care for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

First, the spine must be assessed for misalignments or subluxations that may be leading to stress on the nerves as they exit the spine. Once those subluxations have been identified, they must be reduced or corrected to restore health to the nerve.

Other secondary entrapment sites such as the shoulder, elbow, or wrist can be evaluated and identified. Soft tissue work or massage may be recommended in addition to chiropractic care to release scar tissue that may be affecting the nerves as they pass through the arm.  Specific adjustments can be performed on the wrist to restore alignment and motion thereby taking pressure off of the median nerve.

Chiropractic aims to correct the source of the problem which is why patients have had success with chiropractic versus other traditional treatments.

Schedule your appointment today by calling us at (610) 421-8854 to get relief from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!