 If you are exploring your options for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, please consider the following statistics:
Carpal tunnel surgery has about a 57% failure rate following patients from 1-day to 6-years. At least one of the following symptoms re-occurred during this time: Pain, Numbness, Tingling sensations. Source: Nancollas, et al, 1995. J. Hand Surgery.
According to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics and the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health(1997-2000 Statistics), only 23% of all carpal tunnel syndrome patients returned to their previous professions following surgery.
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The carpal tunnel is a passageway in which the flexor tendons and median nerve pass through in order to supply function, feeling and movement to the thumb, index, and middle finger.
The finger and wrist flexor muscles originate in the forearm, and attach as tendons, to the bones of the fingers and thumb. As these muscles contract to bend the fingers, the flexor tendons slide through the carpal tunnel. The median nerve travels through the carpal tunnel and then divides into a motor branch that controls the thumb flexor and adductor muscles and sensory branches that provide over half the hand with the sensory of touch.
Eight carpal bones on the back of the wrist and the transverse carpal ligament across the front of the wrist form the carpla tunnel. The size of the carpal tunnel is about the size of the index finger in diameter, and the flexor tendons, and median nerve glide past each other with ease within the carpal tunnel when it is sufficient in size. But in such a small, confined space, especially if it is collapsing, there is little room for error. If the tendon size increases from inflammation or hypertrophy due to scar tissue or similar, or if the size of the carpal tunnel decreases, the structures within the carpal tunnel become impinged and carpal tunnel syndrome results.
Is it Really Carpal Tunnel?
As mentioned in the previous section, the median nerve that travels through the carpal tunnel supplies sensation to the thumb, index and middle fingers. This means that those with true carpal tunnel syndrome will only have motor losses and sensory dysfunction(numbness, tingling, and/or pain) in only the thumb and adjacent two fingers. There are other nerves that supply the rest of the hand with motor and sensory function. Many people whose entire hand or hands experience these symptoms are led to believe that the problem is in the carpal tunnel. If this is the case there is at least one other location in the body that is affecting the nerve or nerves. This could occur in the neck, where the spinal nerves that supply function to the entire arm including the hand exit the spine. It could also occur at any point in the arm that the nerves travel. These scenerios are very common and should not be overlooked when assesing why the hands are experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help Me?
Chiropractic care has helped millions of people who experience symptoms of carpal tunnel. Whether the diagnosis is truely carpal tunnel or if the problem lies elswhere, we have safe effective techniques to help fix the problem. There are a number of ways that we may treat the condition. Adjustments to the area or areas that are affecting nerve conduction, removing adhesions in muscles, tendons, and ligaments with soft tissue techiques such as A.R.T., and restoring proper muscle balance through rehabilitative excercises are just a few of the ways we address the problem. We don't utilize dangerous surgeries or drugs to address the problem. Rest assured though, if the issue is one that is best treated by another kind of health professional we will make the appropriate recommendation.
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