What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which the median nerve gets compressed in the carpal tunnel. The median nerve is your primary nerve that travels down the arm and enters the hand through a very small gap called carpal tunnel located in the central part of the wrist. This commonly get compressed with prolonged overuse, typing can be a culprit, as well as fluid retention and trauma or injury direct to the area.

This causes irritation of the nerve leading to tingling or pain typically affecting the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Signs and Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome causes numbness, weakness, pain, or tingling in the hand or fingers. Some individuals experience pain in the arm between their elbow and hand.

• Symptoms may occur in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and the medial half of the ring finger
• Pain in the other fingers except pinky finger
• Hands and fingers get weak, possible grip weakness
• Slight pain in forearm and wrist
• Pain may be more severe at night
• Feeling of relief just by shaking out the hand

Treatment for carpal tunnel can include rest, ice, wearing a brace and specific therapeutic exercises and stretches that can reduce tension and strength the muscles of the wrist.

In more severe cases surgery is what is required.

However, HERE’S WHERE I COME IN!

I have had multiple clients that committed to surgery, and it didn’t fix the problem, both in short and long term. BUT WHY? Because while the symptoms expressed themselves as carpal tunnel, that wasn’t the CAUSE.

See the median nerve has several locations that can experience compression and all show similar effects. The compression can take place at the neck, the brachial plexus, the shoulder, and the elbow. So, what if the problem isn’t directly where the pain is.

A series of testing in range of motion and evaluation of discomfort can give us an opportunity to try conservative therapies BEFORE you decide to go under the knife.

What we do is never a guarantee but remember you only have one body, and once its cut, its never the same. We try to help you keep all original parts!! Let us know if we can help you further!