Chiropractic for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Twenty-five years ago the most common on-the-job injury was a low back strain sprain. However, a shift in work habits and equipment has changed all that. Today it seems that everyone spends most of the workday tied to a computer. Even the plumber and other the other trades access work orders and complete paper work on finished jobs by typing away on a laptop. Enter the new most common on the job injury: tendonitis.

Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon and tendon sheath, most often due to over use. Frequently the cause is too many keystrokes with neck, shoulder and arm muscles locked in a rigid position. Since the tendon sheath is responsible for redirecting the pulling force of muscles around and through joints they are susceptible to wear. Over use depletes the natural lubricant and tendonitis can occur. The resultant symptoms are pain, weakness on muscle contraction, loss of co-ordination, numbness and tingling.

In the past, tennis elbow was the best known tendonitis condition, but today, with virtually everyone using a computer keyboard, carpal tunnel syndrome has taken over first place. What actually causes carpal tunnel syndrome?

The nine small bones that connect your forearms to your hands are called carpals. On the palm side of your hands there is a tunnel through the carpal bones that allows the transport of tendons and nerves. The ligaments that hold everything in place form the roof to this passage way and form the carpal tunnel. With overuse the tendon sheath swells, causes pressure on the adjacent nerves and carpal tunnel syndrome occurs.

Common carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are pain, weakness and lack of co-ordination on grasping objects or attempting keystrokes. Numbness, tingling in the hands is also common and in severe cases wasting of the muscles of hand. In some cases surgery to release the pressure in the tunnel is required to alleviate symptoms.

However, the best experts estimate that 90% of carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis is incorrect. What happens instead is called double-crush syndrome. The nerves that are affected by carpal tunnel syndrome actually start in the neck and pass through the arms before they reach the carpal tunnel. In a vast majority of hand and wrist pain sufferers the damage is done before the nerves reach the carpal tunnel.

Here’s what actually happens: misalignment of the small neck bones called vertebra put pressure on the nerves that supply the arms and hands. That pressure in the neck can cause symptoms in any or every part of the arm. This is the first crush. The second crush in double-crush syndrome happens in the muscles of the forearm when adhesions form in the muscles of the forearm from holding a rigid tense position like the one required for typing.

Before undergoing drug therapy and surgery, check with your chiropractor to see if your neck and forearm are the source of your symptoms. Chiropractors can quickly and accurately assess the problem and frequently just a few chiropractic adjustments and some physical therapy can reduce or eliminate the symptoms.

By Noel G. Lloyd, DC of Sound Chiropractic Center of Northgate, Seattle, WA