Can A Chiropractor Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand, wrist, and arm. It occurs when the median nerve is squeezed or compressed at the wrist. The carpal tunnel that this condition is named for is a narrow pathway made of ligament and bones at the base of the hand. This pathway houses the median nerve and the tendons that allow you to bend your fingers. 

The median nerve is what provides feeling to the palm side of the thumb and the index, middle, and part of the ring fingers. It also controls some small muscles at the base of the thumb which makes it incredibly important to motor function in your hand and wrist. When the tissue surrounding the tendons that run through the carpal tunnel swell up due to irritation, it puts pressure on the median nerve which can cause numbness, weakness, or pain in the hand and wrist. 

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome usually start gradually. This often includes occasional numbness or tingling in the fingers, especially the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger. Many patients report that their hands feel swollen even though there is no apparent swelling. The dominant hand is usually the first to be affected and it usually has the most severe symptoms. Another early symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome is waking up in the night and feeling like you need to shake your hands or wrists.

As symptoms worsen, patients may feel tingling, numbness, and pain during the day, especially when doing activities that involve putting weight on the wrist or turning the wrist like lifting objects or driving. Because symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome progress over time, it's important to know that this means the condition can worsen without treatment.

Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome but we do see plenty of men with the condition. People who have diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk. The risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not specific to particular industries but any job that requires repetitive motions can increase the risk. Some of these tasks include typing, assembly line work, high-impact tasks like hammering, sewing, and cleaning. 

Can A Chiropractor Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

When you think of treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome, you may not think of seeing a chiropractor. While surgery is an option for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, as chiropractors we prefer a less-invasive approach to treating carpal tunnel. Visiting a chiropractor to treat carpal tunnel syndrome can help you get rid of pain, tingling, and numbness while helping the tissue around your wrist heal faster.

When you visit our Towson office for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment, we'll take a multi-pronged approach tailored to you and your needs. We treated Keith with a combination of treatments including dry needling, class 4 laser therapy, and soft tissue work. This allowed him to get back to the activities he loves and relieve his pain quickly without invasive surgery.

As part of our Functional Strength Program, Keith works with our physical therapy team on exercises that help him strengthen his wrist muscles and reduce the inflammation in the carpal tunnel. Every person is unique and requires different treatments and a different timeline for recovery but seeing a chiropractor is a very good alternative to jumping right to invasive options like surgery. 

Are you ready to treat your carpal tunnel syndrome quickly and efficiently? Call our Towson office today at (410) 296-7700 or click here to schedule a consultation and get ready to start feeling better faster!