Carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve. The median nerve passes through the root canal of the wrist. If there is pressure on the nerve in this place, it is diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. Leaving uncorrected may cause permanent nerve injury. This can result in permanent insensitivity and weakness of the muscles in the hand. Because I lose the strength and feeling of the handful, this can be very debilitating.
People with carpal tunnel syndrome usually have itching and paralysis of the hands. This more particularly occurs with the thumb and fingers including the first, second, third and part of the fourth digit. This is because these areas are controlled by the median nerve and innervated. People suffering from CTS are often unable to sleep at night due to pain. People tend to go to bed with curved wrists, pressure to the median nerve increases, only the symptoms worsen. Several people are wearing splints on the wrist to hold the wrist stretched.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often misdiagnosed. This often happens when pressure is applied to the median nerve in a different place than the hand or wrist. The median nerve leaves the spine and passes through the shoulder, then begins with the neck as it goes down the arm. With nerve stimulation in these areas, you can mimic the symptoms of CTS. One example could be a misaligned bone in the neck that causes nerve stimulation and causes the symptoms referred to under the arm or in the hand.
CTS is generally caused by repetitive movements of the wrist and hand at high speed. Examples of activities that cause this include keyboard input, racquetball playing, instruments sewing or playing. These activities often involve bending and twisting the wrist.
It is important to develop healthy habits to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. If possible, avoid twisting and movement of repeated hands and wrists. It is important to frequently take a break when doing work or activities that require repetitive movements of hands and wrists.
Chiropractic is specifically trained to help carpal tunnel syndrome. Chiropractic should be considered before taking medication, injection or surgery. Chiropractic is a natural and safe alternative treatment of CTS. The chiropractor can make certain adjustments useful for correcting unaligned bones that can cause symptoms of CTS. They can also take care to help relieve inflammation and to relieve tight muscles that exacerbate the symptoms of CTS.
