Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!

Am I at risk?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has become one of the most significant medical problems affecting workers at the turn of this century.  Computer operators have joined assembly line workers, meat packers, building tradesmen, cashiers and others as victims of repetitive strain injuries causing these disorders to be dubbed “the number one occupational hazard of the 1990’s."

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

 (CTS) is most often caused by pressure on the median nerve just above the wrist.  The carpal Tunnel is named for the area of your wrist containing the carpal bones, the transverse carpal ligament (connecting two outside carpals together), the median nerve and the tendons controlling the finger and hand movement.

Pressure on the median nerve may occur due to injury, or sustained pressure from activities like typing, chopping, hammering or pushing.
 

CTS Symptoms

Carpal tunnel syndrome and related strains injuries have a range of similar symptoms.  Some warning signs are pain, numbness, a tingling or burning sensation, weakness or loss of grip strength, and loss of sleep due to discomfort.

Non Surgical Solution:

During the past few years, carpal tunnel syndromes has reached epidemic proportions in the workplace.  According to the U.S. Bureau of labor Statistics, repetitive stress injuries, include carpal tunnel syndrome, generates up to 60% of all non trauma work related accident and injury claims.

While surgery can give some relief, research studies show surgeries for CTS to have 40% to 70% success rate.  In some studies patients surgery had to be repeated.  In most cases recovery is far below the 100% mark.  Surgery may however, lead to scarring of the transverse ligament.  The scars can further irritate the median nerve causing the symptoms to reoccur.  Surgery may also weaken the ligament. 

Chiropractic doctors who treat CTS often find similar findings, slight misalignments of the wrist bones, particularly the lunate bone.  A non surgical approach include manipulation to either the wrist, elbow neck.  Selected physiological therapeutic modalities and traction. Combination of these kinds of treatments are credited with producing quicker and better clinical results.

If you or someone you know suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome, or related disorders causing pain numbness or weakness in the neck, shoulders, elbow , arm wrist or hand treatments done in our office can help.