Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve of the wrist, which supplies nerve flow to the hand, becomes irritated as it passes through the wrist region.
Symptoms may include pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness of the wrist, hand, and fingers which sometimes awaken the patient during the night. It may affect anyone that does repetitive tasks with their hands such as secretaries, carpenters, computer workers, musicians, as well as assembly line workers.
Studies indicate that this condition occurs most often in adults between the ages of 30 to 60 and is five times more common in women than men.
Traditional Medical treatment includes drugs, cortisone, splints, and surgery, many showing a poor success rate. As a result of poor medical outcomes, Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. concluded: “Since the medical treatment for this condition is so often unsatisfactory, I have for years been recommending that my patients consult muscle and joint therapy, specialists.”
It is interesting to note that subluxations in the neck may also complicate and cause carpal tunnel syndrome. This occurs when nerve flow in the neck is compromised, reducing the nerve flow to the arms and especially the hands. Research demonstrated that out of 1,000 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, a large number of these sufferers had neck arthritis, a condition of long-term neck subluxations.
Chiropractic care is focused on the correction of neck posture as well as the correction of subluxations in the neck and wrist joints, allowing the flow of nervous system energy to occur normally down the arms to the hands. Chiropractic is non-invasive, gentle, drug-free, surgery free and should be the initial treatment of choice.
References:
1. Chiropractic
