I Need Surgery! I Have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Did you know that carpal tunnel is due to the nerve being compressed through the carpal tunnel? Did you also know that exact nerve travels from the neck all the way down to the fingers? For today’s blog, we will discuss carpal tunnel syndrome and how surgery is not necessarily the best route to take.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?
CTS is a common condition of the wrist that causes pain in that region and produces muscle weakness, numbness and tingling specifically in the thumb, first, second third and half of the fourth fingers. CTS is caused by swelling of the protective tissue layer compressing a nerve called the median nerve, that travels through the small carpal tunnel. Having a naturally smaller carpal tunnel, wrist fractures, nerve damaging conditions such as diabetes and inflammatory conditions are a few risk factors that can cause CTS. There is not enough evidence in literature to support that working on a computer all day or texting can cause CTS.
Is Surgery the Best Route to Take?
A high percentage of patients who have had carpal tunnel surgery have seen reoccurring issues and wasted money on an unsuccessful surgery. Why is that? Just because you may be experiencing wrist pain doesn’t necessarily mean it coming from the wrist. The real cause may be from the neck due to compression of the median nerve or even a cervical nerve root for that matter. In all honesty, someone may be getting surgery on the wrist where in reality, it was coming from the neck all along. Now, I’m not implying all wrist pain and numbness is a neck issue. I’m giving a recommendation to treat your issue conservatively before going to surgery.
How Can Chiropractors Help?
Chiropractors are going to do what they do best and remove any nerve interference in the neck as well as the wrist to allow the body to work at full capacity. Adjusting the wrist and stretching out the connective tissue around the wrist can help move the wrist bones into normal alignment, opening the carpal tunnel and taking pressure off of the median nerve. At our office, we will take an x-ray of the neck to determine if it is a neck issue or if is a true carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis. In either case, the doctors will treat your conditions conservatively before considering surgery.
