Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a widely misunderstood ailment. Symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling in the hand and wrist. CTS can really slow you down. We don’t realize how much function in this part of the body matters until something goes wrong and we’re in pain.
This post is for those of you struggling with CTS. “Carpal tunnel syndrome: confusing and debilitating, but treatable”, has been put together with you in mind.
Why Do I Have It?
The carpal tunnel connects the forearm to the hand on the palm side. It’s a narrow passage, implicating numerous bones and ligaments which allows nerves and tendons to travel down to the hand.
Because the passage is so narrow, inflammation can wreak havoc on the whole structure, causing pain and difficulties using the hand, especially when trying to grasp objects.
Usually, carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by overuse. Performing the same movements repeatedly and not modeling proper biomechanics is a big part of why the syndrome occurs. Workplace ergonomics may be at fault, especially if the height of your keyboard or orientation thereof is incorrect. If you’re sitting there keyboarding for many hours, little factors like that can take a tremendous toll.
In fact, people who spend many hours keyboarding are those most likely to develop CTS.
Enter the Chiropractor
What? A chiropractor? For carpal tunnel syndrome?
Yes. I’m a chiropractor who sees many patients for CTS treatment. Here’s what I do for them – I observe function in the cervical (upper) vertebrae to check for normative range of motion. Why? Because the median nerve which runs through the forearm to the hand comes from your spinal cord.
Your nervous system is what’s responding to the inflammation by pain-signaling from the nerves exiting the neck. When the vertebrae in your cervical spine aren’t functioning normally, you’ll experience problems like carpal tunnel. Getting those vertebrae into alignment is my job.
So, sometimes CTS is not what it seems. It’s a symptom of a problem up in the neck due to improper vertebral function.
Along with manipulation of the cervical vertebrae, shoulder, elbow and wrist manipulation can return all these joints to normative range of motion and function and stop the nerve impingement which is the root cause of your pain. It’s all about making space for your nerves and tendons to operate without impediment – and without pain.
Proper functioning of all the joints of the upper body is important, especially if your job involves extensive keyboarding. But as I said above, we don’t know how very crucial optimal function in the shoulders, elbows and wrists is until we lose it.
Back & Body Medical New York
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Got CTS? Get in touch and feel better.
