Understanding CTS
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Understanding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and the Median Nerve
There are eight bones found in your wrist that form a U-shaped channel that houses several tendons and your median nerve. This channel is known as the carpal tunnel. Your median nerve is responsible for your feeling and your sensation on the palm side of your first 3 ½ fingers.
Nerve compression or irritation of this nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel is responsible for the creation of a condition known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). CTS is currently the most common nerve entrapment, affecting 3-5% of the general population. Females are affected roughly two or three times more often than males. Carpal tunnel syndrome most often is found in adults age 45-60.
Carpal Tunnel Risk Factors
CTS can be caused by prolonged wrist flexion and/or repetitive wrist motions like supermarket scanning, keyboard use, carpentry or assembly line work. Exposure to vibration or cold is also known to aggravate the condition or worsen it.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in your dominant hand but can also frequently affect both hands (bilateral carpal tunnel). Some risk factors for developing CTS include diabetes, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, alcoholism, kidney disease, being short or overweight. Fluid retention during pregnancy is also a common cause of carpal tunnel symptoms (pregnancy carpal tunnel).
What Are The Symptoms Of CTS?
Symptoms of CTS include hand numbness, thumb numbness, finger tingling, or discomfort on the palm side of your thumb, index, middle finger and half of your ring finger. The wrist pain and discomfort you feel can also sometimes extend towards your elbow. The symptoms you experience usually start as nighttime discomfort or waking up with numb hands, but can rapidly progress to a constant annoyance.
Your symptoms are likely aggravated by gripping activities such as holding a book while reading, driving or painting. Early on, your symptoms may be reduced by simply "shaking your hands out". You may sometimes feel as though your hands are tight or swollen. In more severe cases, hand weakness can form.
How Chiropractic Care Helps Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Chiropractic for carpal tunnel offers a comprehensive, non-invasive approach to treating nerve compression and reducing symptoms. Many patients ask, "can chiropractor help carpal tunnel?" The answer is yes—chiropractor carpal tunnel treatment addresses not just the wrist, but the entire kinetic chain that may be contributing to your median nerve compression.
Chiropractic Carpal Tunnel Treatment Approaches:
Chiropractors use multiple techniques to relieve carpal tunnel symptoms and address the root causes of nerve compression:
Spinal and Extremity Adjustments: Carpal tunnel chiropractic adjustment focuses on restoring proper alignment in the wrist, elbow, shoulder, and cervical spine. Misalignments in the neck or upper back can contribute to nerve irritation that travels down to the wrist. A wrist adjustment helps restore proper joint mechanics and reduce pressure on the median nerve.
Soft Tissue Therapy: Chiropractors use soft tissue therapy techniques to release tight muscles and fascia in the forearm, wrist, and hand. This helps reduce compression on the carpal tunnel and improves blood flow to the affected area, promoting natural healing.
Nerve Mobilization: Specialized techniques help the median nerve glide more smoothly through the carpal tunnel, reducing irritation and inflammation.
Ergonomic and Lifestyle Counseling: A chiropractor for wrist pain will assess your daily activities, workstation setup, and repetitive movements that may be contributing to your condition. They'll provide personalized recommendations to prevent future flare-ups and support long-term wrist health.
Rehabilitative Exercises: Specific stretches and strengthening exercises help maintain the benefits of chiropractic carpal tunnel treatment and prevent recurrence.
Chiropractic and carpal tunnel care works best when combined with modifications to activities that aggravate your symptoms. By addressing the underlying biomechanical issues and not just the symptoms, chiropractic for carpal tunnel provides lasting relief for many patients without the need for invasive procedures.
Recovering From CTS
If left untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome can cause your forearm to sustain permanent nerve damage. The American Academy of Neurology recommends conservative treatment, like the type provided in our office, before going down the surgical route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Early symptoms include thumb numbness, finger tingling (especially in the thumb, index, and middle fingers), hand numbness, waking up with numb hands, and mild wrist pain. You may also notice symptoms improve when you "shake out" your hands.
Yes, bilateral carpal tunnel (affecting both hands) is common. However, symptoms typically start in your dominant hand first. If you experience hand numbness or pain in both hands, it's important to seek evaluation.
Carpal tunnel often hurts more at night because we tend to sleep with our wrists bent, which increases pressure on the median nerve. Fluid can also accumulate in the wrist during sleep, causing increased nerve compression and nighttime symptoms.
