I often see patients coming to our office that suffer from carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel is becoming more common due to people spending more and more time in front of a computer. So, does chiropractic help with Carpal Tunnel? Let’s first start by discussing what carpal tunnel is and then what can be done for it.

About Carpal Tunnel

Signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel include wrist pain, numbness and/or tingling in the thumb, index and middle finger, along with weakness in the hand. Decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In chronic and/or untreated cases, the muscles at the base of the thumb may waste away. In extreme cases some people are unable to tell between hot and cold by touch.

The nerve involved in this condition is called the median nerve. Oftentimes the nerve can become compressed in the area of the wrist called the carpal tunnel (hence the name of the syndrome), but in many cases the nerve can be irritated further upstream, meaning at the elbow or in the neck where it originates from. In some cases the nerve can be irritated in more then just one of the areas.

In our practice we examine the wrist, elbow and neck to determine where the source of pain is originating from and then work to address the issues. Because people are spending so much time at the computer or sitting, I often find that most cases of carpal tunnel actually originate in the neck and are caused by poor posture. I have seen many cases where patients have had carpal tunnel surgery at the wrist to relieve their pain, only to have it return after the surgery because the wrist was not the cause of the problem.

In addition to spinal adjustments, we prescribe exercises to stretch and strengthen the area while also working the soft tissues and muscles to relieve muscle stress and tension. Our patients with Carpal Tunnel experience improvements after starting care. So if you’re having symptoms similar to carpal tunnel, come see us so we can help you get back to the activities you love and enjoy!

Get Involved

Do you experience symptoms of Carpal Tunnel? How many hours a day do you sit in front of a computer?