Carpal Tunnel

Carpal Tunnel Pain Management with Dr. Gina de Wet Chiropractic Care

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a problem that affects the wrist and hand. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, tingling and numbness can make even simple tasks hard to perform. But carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated, and your symptoms can be controlled.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow space inside the wrist that is surrounded by bone and ligament. This space lets certain tendons and a major nerve pass from the forearm into the hand. With carpal tunnel syndrome, the tendon sheaths may thicken and enlarge. This reduces the amount of space inside the carpal tunnel. As a result, the median nerve may be compressed.

Tingling and numbness are the most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Some people also have hand pain or even a weakened grip. At first, symptoms may wake you up at night. Later, they may also occur during your daily routines. Your symptoms may become more severe over time.

Fortunately, not all wrist pain should be called CTS. It is important to determine, if in fact, the symptoms are being caused by the pressure on the nerves of the wrist, or if there is a different cause of the problem. It is VERY common for these types of symptoms to exist when there is a neck misalignment, history of auto injury, or other spinal conditions. The nerves of the neck control all the nerves of our arms and hands. If the nerves of the neck are being compressed, wrist and hand pain is a common symptom. Your Doctor of Chiropractic is trained to determine whether your condition is a true carpal tunnel syndrome.

In some cases your chiropractor can use physical therapy or manipulation of the wrist to alleviate the symptoms of true CTS. In more serious cases, a surgical referral may be required. If it is determined by your chiropractor that the cause of your symptoms are due to a neck related situation, a series of chiropractic adjustments may be recommended.