Managing Chronic Pain During the Holidays
During the holiday season, any relief from your chronic pain can feel like a precious gift. This guide explores tools and treatments that can help you unwrap that relief.
Can Chiropractic Care Treat My Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Waking up to find your hand still asleep is a bit unsettling, but with a few shakes of the wrist, sensation returns and you brush your teeth. Though you may not think much of it, the numbness you feel in your hand may be an early sign of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a type of compressive neuropathy (compression or pinching of a nerve).
Up to 5% of people in the United States have carpal tunnel syndrome, and when left untreated, it may lead to permanent nerve damage that affects hand use. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or think you do, chiropractic care can help.
At Legacy Pain and Regenerative Medicine, our chiropractic physician Trace Alexander, DC, FNP, specializes in treating nerve pain conditions like carpal tunnel, using various modalities to reduce symptoms and prevent damage.
In this month’s blog post, we explain how chiropractic care can treat your carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome 101
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve condition that involves the median nerve and carpal tunnel.
Median nerve
The median nerve provides sensation to your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger and controls the muscles at the base of the thumb.
Carpal tunnel
The carpal tunnel is a tiny space in the wrist that the median nerve travels through to get to your hand. Tendons and ligaments also travel through the narrow and rigid tunnel.
If the tunnel becomes too narrow, it may irritate or compress the nerve as it passes through, resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome.
Numbness and tingling in the hand when you first wake up are some of the early symptoms. Over time, continued compression of the nerve may cause muscle weakness and affect your grip. Getting treatment early eases symptoms and reduces the risk of nerve damage.
Chiropractic care for nerve compression
Chiropractic care is a holistic practice focused on supporting the body’s natural healing process. Before making any treatment recommendations, we do a thorough examination similar to your annual physical exam.
In addition to reviewing your health history and symptoms, we do a physical exam that focuses on your spine and joints, looking for misalignments that may contribute to your CTS symptoms, looking for the underlying cause so we know how best to treat it.
We may do spine and joint adjustments to restore alignment, reduce pain, and promote healing. Our chiropractic care for carpal tunnel syndrome may also include an exercise and stretching program that improves wrist flexibility and strengthens the surrounding muscles.
Carpal tunnel syndrome didn’t develop overnight, and it won’t resolve after one visit. You may need regular chiropractic care sessions to support the healing process and reduce the risk of nerve damage.
Other treatments for CTS
Spinal manipulation is a core therapy of chiropractic care, but it’s not the only treatment we offer. Our chiropractic physician is also a nurse practitioner and certified in acupuncture. We take a holistic approach to managing nerve pain conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, and your plan may include traditional and complementary therapies.
Other treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Night splinting to keep the wrist straight while sleeping
- Ergonomic therapy to reduce repetitive movements that aggravate the condition
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to manage pain and inflammation
- Steroid injections to reduce swelling and inflammation
- Acupuncture for pain management
If your symptoms continue or worsen, you may need carpal tunnel surgery to improve spacing through the carpal tunnel to ease compression of the nerve. You may also benefit from chiropractic care after surgery to support the healing process.
Early treatment for your carpal tunnel syndrome can relieve your symptoms and may prevent the need for surgery. Call our office today at 972-899-9797 to schedule a consultation or send us a message online.
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