Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive hand and arm condition that causes numbness, tingling and other symptoms, such as shooting pain, in your arm, hand and fingers. A number of factors can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, including the anatomy of your wrist, certain underlying health problems and possibly patterns of hand use.
Signs or Symptoms:
Tingling or numbness in the first three fingers and half of ring ringer. Loss of strength with a tendency towards dropping objects. Atrophy of thenar muscle tissue. Pain that radiates up to the elbow in the front of your forearm.
Causes:
Entrapment of the median nerve at the wrist, but also the elbow, shoulder, neck muscles and/or cervical spine. Repetitive use over time, trauma or lack of proper mechanics of the involved joints and muscles.
Standard Treatment:
Immobilization with wrist brace, physical therapy, surgery and anti-inflammatory medications.
Applied Kinesiology Approach:
After a detailed history and exam, treatment is individually oriented to the areas affecting the nerve. Rebalancing of supportive muscles and proper alignment of involved joints are critical for healing. Without these procedures the area will remain weak and dysfunctional. Testing is used to determine if there are nutritional imbalances that are limiting your body’s ability to produce natural anti-inflammatory chemicals to effectively speed the recovery. Other lifestyle modifications are used to prevent or minimize exacerbating the condition.