Carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS, is a nerve disorder that affects one or both hands. This issue is extremely common, especially amongst office workers. Because of the ubiquity of CTS, it’s critical that desk workers and others understand the underlying disease process and the best available treatments.
In this post, we’ll provide an overview of carpal tunnel syndrome and discuss how chiropractic treatments can help you quickly move past this issue.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The carpal tunnel is a band of tissue that stretches across the front of the wrist, just below the palm. There are many structures that run through the carpal tunnel. One important structure found in this region is the median nerve.
The median nerve is responsible for the sensation and function of many of the muscles in the hand. Specifically, it innervates the thumb, pointer finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger.
Therefore, when this nerve is pinched by tight, restricted muscles within the carpal tunnel, patients often experience tingling, numbness, and weakness in the aforementioned areas.
Why Does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Affect Office Workers?
Truthfully, carpal tunnel syndrome can affect anyone who works with their hands frequently throughout the day. In today’s day and age, where everything is done on computers, office workers use their hands and wrists more than others in many different occupations.
That being said, there have been many cases of construction workers, gardeners, and other laborers who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
The position used when typing is one of wrist flexion and rapid, frequent finger flexion. Both of these motions tighten the muscles in the carpal tunnel. As a result, these muscles can begin to swell and press on the median nerve.
Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are a variety of options for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. In this section, we’ll explore some of these treatment options more deeply.
Exercise
Exercise always comes up as a treatment option when it comes to orthopedic issues. This is because exercise is a great form of medicine for many different ailments.
When it comes to carpal tunnel syndrome, therapeutic exercise movements typically involve performing wrist flexor stretches and wrist extensor strengthening movements. These moves help to increase the space in the carpal tunnel, reducing the strain on the median nerve.
Medicine and Surgery
When it comes to pain and inflammation, there are a number of medications that can help. However, these medications provide a temporary fix; they don’t fix the underlying issue.
Surgery, on the other hand, can address the underlying issue, in a manner of speaking. That being said, cutting the carpal tunnel is a step which can never be undone. Plus, this doesn’t truly address the biomechanical and postural issues that led to the symptoms.
Ergonomics
The way we move throughout the day plays a huge role in our health. By moving inefficiently, we may increase the pain and dysfunction in our bodies, leading to worse symptoms.
Correcting these inefficiencies, on the other hand, helps you live the healthiest life possible. Therefore, it’s imperative that you seek out a treatment approach that will help you regain function with as little risk to your health as possible.
Chiropractic Care
In short, all painful conditions involve the spine to some degree. By manipulating specific areas of the spine, your chiropractor can help you with tons of different problems.
Keeping the spine in good alignment through chiropractic care, postural corrections, and other methods truly works wonders for your health.
Are you dealing with nagging nimbleness and pain in your wrist and hand? You may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Stop in to see the team at Awaken Chiropractic, your Parker chiropractor. We can help you today! Book your appointment now!
