Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a serious, painful nerve injury that affects many people in the United States. CTS occurs when the median nerve, which runs down a person’s forearm to his or her hand, gets compressed in the eight bones in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. This injury is frequently caused over time by repetitive motion such as assembly line work, and is the most expensive work-related injury. Symptoms of CTS include pain and numbness of the hand and wrist. While there are a variety of treatment options available to those who are afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome up to and including surgery, chiropractic care has become a popular and effective option.
Here are four ways patients with carpal tunnel syndrome benefit from chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care is documented to work on carpal tunnel syndrome.
While there are no guarantees that any one mode of treatment will work on every person, two studies have shown strong results that back the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment on CTS.
In both cases, the majority of participants showed significant improvement in several measures such as range of motion, finger sensation, and pain reduction. These studies provide evidence to people suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients can feel confident in improving their symptoms when choosing to pursue a chiropractor’s care.
Chiropractors provide a less invasive treatment option.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, particularly cases that have gone undiagnosed or treated for an extended period of time, that ends up being too painful and advanced to be handled with medicine may face surgery. However, chiropractic care often helps minimize that option as a last resort. Regular visits to a chiropractor can show positive results in the controlling and healing of many of the CTS symptoms.
Chiropractic care offers an alternative to drugs to manage pain
As with surgery, daily doses of medicine may be a less than ideal plan when managing carpal tunnel syndrome. Certain patients may suffer from issues with the medicine, CTS medicines may conflict with other medication, or they may simply not want to take daily medications.
If medicinal treatment is not an attractive option, a chiropractor appointment is the next logical step. Chiropractic care often helps CTS by adjusting the patient’s elbow and spine.
Another common treatment is bracing. This technique limits the hand’s movements with the goal of allowing the wrist and tendons to heal and recover.
A chiropractor who is experienced with carpal tunnel syndrome is able to review each case individually and make solid treatment recommendations that can alleviate the patient’s dependence on managing the pain with drugs.
Allows patients to learn how to manage carpal tunnel syndrome.
Unfortunately, health problems that produce chronic pain can take a toll on the patient not only physically, but psychologically. Dealing with CTS can make a person feel powerless over their own body. Working with a chiropractor to relieve, control, and heal the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome empowers the patient to be able to feel ownership of managing and improving his or her health.
Workers who perform repetitive tasks daily as part of their job need to be especially aware of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Feeling pain, numbness, tingling, or burning in their palms or fingers may be the first symptoms of CTS. The earlier it’s diagnosed, the more effective less-invasive treatment will be.
Of all the carpal tunnel syndrome treatment choices, chiropractic care offers the dual benefits of being a highly effective treatment while still employing tactics that are not as invasive as other options. If you or a loved one are suffering from this condition, give us a call. We’re here to help!
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In Health,
Dr. Emil Tocci
