Carpal Tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) causes symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning, and pain in the hands and wrists and can even cause an inability to grasp objects.  CTS is referred to as a repetitive stress injury (RSI) or caused by repetitive motions, such as typing or assembly line work.   

The carpal tunnel is located in the wrist and contains the median nerve as it extends from the spine to the hand.  Swelling of the carpal tunnel compresses the median nerve, producing the symptoms listed above. Women develop CTS three times as much as men, possibly due to the smaller size of a women’s carpal tunnel, compared to men’s.  

As with any injury, the sooner the cause is diagnosed, the better the treatment outcome.  Early non-surgical treatments of CTS include hand and wrist exercises, icing, and wearing wrist supports, especially at night, while sleeping.  If caught early, these measures can reduce the inflammation and the pain by themselves.  

Dr. Minafri at Riverview Chiropractic Center can treat CTS, avoiding pain medications and possible surgery.  

• Wrist supports are always a good treatment for CTS. 

• Manipulation of the wrist, arm, and upper spine.  Malalignment of the spine can contribute to the symptoms of CTS by compressing the median nerve.  

• Ultrasound therapy.  Therapy using focused sound waves to penetrate deep into the tissue is used to relax the muscles, alleviate pain, and shrink inflammation.