The median nerve that originates out of the lower neck passes through the "carpal tunnel" at the wrist and is very susceptible to compression at this point. The symptoms of CTS are numbness in the fingers, especially at night in the beginning, weakness when attempting to grip, and difficulty performing fast repetitive tasks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is typically associated with repetitive motions, like factory assembly line work or keyboard use. There are many other reasons that cause CTS to develop such as pregnancy, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and menopause. Any condition that will result in decreased space (or swelling) in the tunnel can contribute to CTS....even a wrist sprain.
Non-surgical care is very effective in the treatment of mild to moderate CTS. In our office, we use a combination of massage, splinting, acupuncture, cold laser and manipulation.
Many people think they have CTS when they actually have a pinched nerve in their neck, an entrapped nerve in the shoulder or tendonitis in their forearm. An assessment by a chiropractor can help you decide, if you actually have CTS or if the nerve is compressed in another location. The level of CTS is graded by using a special nerve conduction test.
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