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Chiropractic Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by numbness, pain, weakness, and/or decreased ranges of motion in the wrist and hand. It is caused by two main things, the first of which is repetitive micro-trauma to the wrist from chronic lifestyle activities. These are basically any activities that continuously place stress on the wrist, such as computer/mouse use, jack-hammering, weightlifting, or guitar playing. Most of these physical activities place the wrist in a flexed or extended position and then repeatedly stress the wrist joints and ligaments. The second cause is damage or dysfunction of the nerves that exit the spine at the base of the neck.

If the bones at the base of the neck are out of position or not working correctly, they will cause dysfunction in the nerves that exit from there. This affects the entire shoulder, arm and hand including the muscles and ligaments of the wrist. This may be caused by trauma to the neck such as whiplash or a fall onto the head or neck. Reversal or loss of normal neck curve, forward head posture and rounded shoulders will also compress the nerves at the base of the neck.

When the cause of the problem is repetitive micro-trauma, what happens is that one or more bones in the wrist become misaligned due to the repetitive stress. There is a normal arch built into the wrist that protects the nerves and ligaments that control your hand. When the bones of the wrist are flattened for period of time and the wrist is stressed, it results in a drop in the arch. The dropped arch puts pressure on the nerves and ligaments that run through the arch causing the symptoms of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. If the nerves are compressed, pain and numbness is common. If the ligaments are compressed than pain, weakness, and loss of motion occur. Most commonly both the ligaments and nerves are compressed. The name of the syndrome is misleading because people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome actually have lost their carpal tunnel arch. In this instance the misaligned bones of the wrist need to be reset, along with exercise and a reduction in the physical repetition stress that caused the problem.

Many times the accumulated repetitive physical stress has negative impact on the nerves that go from the wrist back to the spine. This bombardment of negative information causes the nerves of the neck to short circuit and this will cause a Subluxation/misalignment of the neck bones. This is the way that repetitive micro-trauma can also end up causing the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

When damage or dysfunction at the base of the neck is the cause of the problem, the misaligned bones and the neck curve need to be corrected in order to eliminate interference to the nerves. The brain is better able to heal the wrist and provide proper muscle and ligament function when the nerve function is restored. Nerve interference at the base of the neck takes longer to correct, but it is necessary in order to correct carpal tunnel syndrome.

If all of the efforts are focused on the wrist and the neck is not checked, results may be temporary and full recovery impossible. Many people undergo surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome but many do not see worthwhile changes because nerve interference at the base of the neck is limiting the muscle function and the body’s ability to heal itself.

For complete correction of carpal tunnel syndrome, which is possible in most cases, a check-up of the position of the neck bones and the curve of the neck are mandatory.

What do you think about using chiropractic therapy for CTS? Leave a comment below: