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Carpal tunnel syndrome is a health condition in which a person may experience tingling, numbness, pain, weakness, or other discomfort in the fingers, wrists, hands, and forearms. These symptoms can be very uncomfortable, however, conservative therapy is available that can improve the problem and restore hands and wrists to normal. This article reviews the causes and effective treatments that will prevent this condition from affecting a person's lifestyle.
Anatomically, the carpal tunnel is a narrow channel on the underside of the wrist made up of eight small bones called the carpal bones. This channel is an opening that contains the tendons that flex fingers and an important nerve to the hand, called the median nerve. Sometimes the median nerve can be pinched by misalignment of the carpal bones resulting in pain, numbness, and may eventually cause the hands to weaken. Symptoms are frequently experienced in the thumb and first two fingers and may appear upon awakening or holding an item such as a telephone, computer mouse, or pen or pencil. Progression of the condition could lead to constant feeling of numbness and weakness.
Pain may extend or radiate from the wrist, up the arm, to the shoulder or from the wrist down into the palm or fingers. This commonly occurs after repetitive or forceful use. If hands begin feeling weak, the individual may drop items frequently. Anything that compresses, crowds, or irritates the median nerve within the carpal tunnel area can result in this condition. This includes rheumatoid arthritis or a wrist fracture.
An accumulation of factors may cause development of the condition. Among these are repetitive use of vibrating tools or prolonged flexion of the wrist as occurs with work on an assembly line. Also those who send a lot of time at a computer may especially be at risk.
Often there is an association between this condition and the neck. Nerves travel through the neck area to exit the spine and then travel into the wrist and hand. A pinched nerve in the neck can have symptoms that mimic those of carpal tunnel syndrome. When patients complaining of this condition visit a chiropractor, the health care professional examines both the neck and wrists and administers safe, drug-free, and nonsurgical treatments to the appropriate areas.
Resting frequently and applying cold packs to wrists may relieve the mildest symptoms. If numbness or tingling occurs at night, a chiropractor may recommend using a wrist brace that supports the wrist while the patient sleeps. Exercises that stretch, balance, and strengthen muscles of the upper body may reduce weakness and pain.
There are no definite measures to prevent the condition but reducing extreme wrist movement, limiting repetitive use and avoiding forceful usage of the hands when performing tasks may help. If the condition does not improve, a trip to a doctor of chiropractic is a logical step. A chiropractor is a professional specialist to see for comprehensive testing, diagnosis, and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Anatomically, the carpal tunnel is a narrow channel on the underside of the wrist made up of eight small bones called the carpal bones. This channel is an opening that contains the tendons that flex fingers and an important nerve to the hand, called the median nerve. Sometimes the median nerve can be pinched by misalignment of the carpal bones resulting in pain, numbness, and may eventually cause the hands to weaken. Symptoms are frequently experienced in the thumb and first two fingers and may appear upon awakening or holding an item such as a telephone, computer mouse, or pen or pencil. Progression of the condition could lead to constant feeling of numbness and weakness.
Pain may extend or radiate from the wrist, up the arm, to the shoulder or from the wrist down into the palm or fingers. This commonly occurs after repetitive or forceful use. If hands begin feeling weak, the individual may drop items frequently. Anything that compresses, crowds, or irritates the median nerve within the carpal tunnel area can result in this condition. This includes rheumatoid arthritis or a wrist fracture.
An accumulation of factors may cause development of the condition. Among these are repetitive use of vibrating tools or prolonged flexion of the wrist as occurs with work on an assembly line. Also those who send a lot of time at a computer may especially be at risk.
Often there is an association between this condition and the neck. Nerves travel through the neck area to exit the spine and then travel into the wrist and hand. A pinched nerve in the neck can have symptoms that mimic those of carpal tunnel syndrome. When patients complaining of this condition visit a chiropractor, the health care professional examines both the neck and wrists and administers safe, drug-free, and nonsurgical treatments to the appropriate areas.
Resting frequently and applying cold packs to wrists may relieve the mildest symptoms. If numbness or tingling occurs at night, a chiropractor may recommend using a wrist brace that supports the wrist while the patient sleeps. Exercises that stretch, balance, and strengthen muscles of the upper body may reduce weakness and pain.
There are no definite measures to prevent the condition but reducing extreme wrist movement, limiting repetitive use and avoiding forceful usage of the hands when performing tasks may help. If the condition does not improve, a trip to a doctor of chiropractic is a logical step. A chiropractor is a professional specialist to see for comprehensive testing, diagnosis, and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
About the Author:
Philip Bud Bollen is an author writing about healthy living. Would you like to know more about chiropractor Pittsburgh? Get more information about chiropractic Pittsburgh.
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