Carpal Tunnel Treatment in the Woodlands

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a painful, sometimes debilitating condition involving the compression of the carpal tunnel (median) nerve. This nerve extends from the forearm, through the wrist and carpal tunnel, and into the hand, where it provides sensation in the hand and fingers. When ligaments and tissues composing the carpal tunnel become irritated and inflamed, the tunnel becomes swollen enough to compress the nerve.

Symptoms of CTS include:

• Tingling, numbness, and pain in the affected hand and fingers
• Inability to firmly grip objects due to numbness and/or pain
• Intense burning sensations in the thumb, middle, and index fingers
• Sharp, radiating hand pain that interrupts sleep
• The worsening sensation of having swollen fingers, although CTS does not typically cause the hand or fingers to swell

Core Health Spine & Rehabilitation urges you to make an appointment for treatment as soon as possible if you suspect you have CTS. While ibuprofen or other over-the-counter analgesics may temporarily ease the pain and numbness of CTS, medications do not resolve the core cause of CTS--nerve compression. Chiropractic care for carpal tunnel can provide long-term relief of CTS symptoms.

What Causes Carpal Tunnel?

People who use their wrists, hands, and fingers repetitively are at the highest risk of CTS. Typing on a keyboard every day, working on assembly lines, painting homes for a living, laying carpet, and playing sports like golf or tennis put extreme stress that often leads to CTS.

Other causes include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Hypothyroidism (peripheral neuropathy)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Changes to hormonal levels during pregnancy or menopause
• Injury to the wrist, hand, and/or fingers (bone breaks, sprains, strains)

How is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosed?

After evaluating your medical history and determining whether your carpal tunnel symptoms may be associated with a specific health problem, your Core Health Spine & Rehabilitation provider could perform a manipulation or order an electrodiagnostic test to determine the severity of median nerve compression.

By gently stimulating your hand nerves and muscles, your provider can tell whether you need treatment and what kind of chiropractic care will relieve your symptoms.

Can Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Be Prevented?

Try these tips to avoid CTS:

• Use a wrist pad if you work on the computer. Wrist pads are placed at the bottom of keyboards to help keep both wrists in a nearly straight position between typing sessions.
• Take periodic breaks if you work all day on a computer. Spend 10 minutes out of every hour flexing your fingers and stretching your wrists, fingers, and hands to increase blood flow.
• Wear wrist supports when engaging in repetitive hand motions.

In most cases, carpal tunnel syndrome cannot be prevented, especially if your livelihood involves the constant use of your hands. Fortunately, chiropractic care offers rapid and long-lasting relief from CTS symptoms.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Treat Carpal Tunnel

After your Core Health Spine & Rehabilitation provider identifies areas of pressure sources that are irritating the carpal tunnel and median nerve, they may perform wrist adjustments to ease this pressure and reduce inflammation. Additional adjustments may be needed that involve realigning spinal vertebrae. Misalignment of the spine often worsens symptoms by compressing nerves extending from the spine into your body.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

• Provides almost immediate relief from the pain, numbness, and burning of CTS
• Drug-free and surgery-free
• Treats the root cause of carpal tunnel syndrome--compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel
• Improves your quality of life and ability to enjoy your work and leisure activities
• Can significantly reduce the possibility of needing CTS surgery in the future

Call Core Health Spine & Rehabilitation for Carpal Tunnel Treatment in the Woodlands

In addition to applying evidence-based chiropractic techniques to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, Core Health Spine & Rehabilitation offers pain management, physical rehabilitation, holistic treatment for neuropathy, posture correction, and many more services designed to enhance your overall health and well-being without drugs or surgery.

Schedule an appointment online using our convenient submission form and start enjoying a pain-free life today!