What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful disorder of the hand. The cause of this pain is pressure applied to your median nerve. You have a tunnel on the anterior aspect of your wrist. Many different structures pass through this tunnel. When there is pressure on the median nerve you may experience numbness, pins and needles, and pain.
What is my my Carpal Tunnel?
As you see in the picture, many structures pass through the tunnel.
Why am I getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
When the pressure inside the tunnel becomes too high, you may start to experience pain due to pressure on your median nerve. The pressure may increase due to inflammation, pregnancy or repetitive use of the hand. The nerve may not only be compressed in the wrist but may also be compressed in the neck region from a bulging or herniated disk.
Your lower cervical spine can have an injury in the C6, C7, C8 and T1 region. This should be investigated thoroughly.
What Are My Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
You may also experience weakness in your grip along with muscle atrophy.
How do I know if I really have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ?
Your symptoms will play a factor in this. Different orthopedic test will be performed to the wrist and lower cervical region.
A nerve conduction study or EMG study is a great way to determine exactly where it is coming from.
How Do I Fix My Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Resting and avoiding painful activities are recommended Making sure your work station is ergonomically correct is also suggested. A night wrist splint may also be beneficial to prevent flexion of the wrist. Ultrasound, Graston, A.R.T are some therapies that will be applied to the wrist and cervical region if needed.
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