Carpal Tunnel Treatment from Your Sacramento Chiropractor
Thanks to personal computers and mobile devices, one musculoskeletal syndrome is now a household name: carpal tunnel syndrome. This painful condition is a common diagnosis, but it's especially common among people who perform repetitive hand and arm movements at work. Our Sacramento chiropractor, Dr. Anderson, offers a variety of carpal tunnel treatment options for his patients. Let's learn how this syndrome works, and how chiropractic care provides relief from the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
You've probably heard of this syndrome before. You may even suspect that you have it. But do you know what carpal tunnel syndrome actually is? Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the carpal tunnel, the part of your wrist that contains a crucial median nerve. The nerve is connected to your thumb and three fingers, and surrounded by tendons that line the carpal tunnel. If the tendons in your wrist are inflamed or irritated for any reason, they may pinch or press on the median nerve, causing symptoms in your fingers, thumb, and hand.
Common Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The median nerve in your carpal tunnel branches out into multiple places. It sends impulses to your fingers, thumb, palm, and wrist, so symptoms may look a little different for everyone. Depending on how and where your carpal tunnel lining is pinching this nerve, you may experience the following symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome:
- Burning or tingling in the palm or fingers (especially thumb, middle finger, and index finger)
- Itchiness and numbness in the thumb and fingers
- Decreased grip strength
- Difficulty performing manual tasks (due to hand weakness or numbness)
- "Asleep" feeling in hand after a night's sleep
- Phantom swelling and numbness, even when fingers look/act normal
How Chiropractic Care Provides Carpal Tunnel Relief
So, how does our chiropractor actually treat carpal tunnel syndrome? No invasive procedures or addictive pharmaceuticals are part of our treatment plans. Instead, we opt for natural treatment techniques that stimulate your body's natural healing processes. Our goal is to reduce the tissue inflammation that is causing your nerve pinching, re-strengthen and stimulate the muscles in your hand, and modify your lifestyle and movements to reduce pain while your body heals.
Chiropractic Treatments for Carpal Tunnel
Chiropractic adjustments are often effective for reducing pain and muscle inflammation associated with carpal tunnel. We may also recommend splints to help stabilize the carpal tunnel itself, especially during sleep, to prevent the muscles from spasming or tightening further. We want to relieve your immediate pain while correcting the source of the problem so that you can regain full use of your hand and fingers without everyday discomfort and pain.
Are you living with the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome? Call Anderson Chiropractic today at (916) 485-5433 to schedule an appointment with our Sacramento chiropractor. We look forward to helping you find relief.