We’ve all heard of it, and we all hope that it won’t happen to us! But what really is carpal tunnel?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of the median nerve as it passes through the little tunnel created from the bones of the wrist (ouch!)
Unfortunately, it is a very common syndrome and it more commonly occurs in women aged 30-50 years. There are many causes for this syndrome – and sometimes it can be completely random! But usually it is caused by activities that require constant flexion and extension of the wrist (think activities like tennis or jobs like hairdressing, cashier etc.). It can also be caused by complications like arthritis, diabetes, inflammation, hypothyroidism and a few others.
Symptoms of this syndrome include:
- Pain in the wrist
- Numbness and tingling
- Can involve the entire hand or just the thumb, index and middle finger
- Burning pain
- Aching pain
- Weakness of some thumb actions
- Atrophy of the fat pad muscle (of the thumb)
There are various medical treatment methods that may be helpful. Things like steroid injections or surgery are available to help remove the compression or take away the pain. For some people, this may be a little too invasive. But not to worry! There are other treatment therapies available!
Through the use of Chiropractic techniques, and using Applied Kinesiology as a tool to help further uncover the underlying cause, there are ways to treat it to either help remove the symptoms or manage them.
Muscle testing and techniques are so important to help find where the dysfunction is and to be able to treat the ailment properly! And don’t forget, the nerves that bring function to the muscles of the wrist to assist with movement arise from the neck! So treatment to the spine to allow the nerves to function at their most optimum is also really beneficial. At Align, our sole aim is to find the underlying issue, help correct the problem and alleviate the symptoms.
Do you or someone you know suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (or wrist problems in general!)? CLICK HERE to book online for a consultation so we can help you get out of constant pain!
We’ve got your back!
ALIGN CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CLINIC