Carpal tunnel syndrome, which often manifests itself in numbness and pain in hands and arms, can often be eased with noninvasive solutions like wrist braces and ergonomic changes.
Physical or occupational therapists may provide additional treatments, including stretching and strengthening exercises for wrist and hand muscles as well as manual therapies that involve gliding and mobilizing nerve or carpal tunnel bones.
Hydrodissection
Nerve hydrodissection is an innovative noninvasive solution to carpal tunnel syndrome that provides relief by decompressing the median nerve in your wrist. Your physician uses ultrasound imaging to monitor this procedure and injects a solution of saline and anesthetic into a solution of your choice to break down adhesions, create space for nerve movement and relieve pressure on it – relieving pain while improving function in patients suffering from CTS. Numerous controlled studies demonstrate this method’s success at alleviating symptoms while improving function while alleviating symptoms while improving function overall in those suffering from CTS.
Procedure is performed in a doctor’s office without requiring any downtime, usually when other conservative treatments like night bracing, myofascial massage or stretching exercises have failed to offer relief. Most often you will experience immediate relief; when combined with other regenerative solutions like PRP its effects tend to last much longer.
Your doctor will use musculoskeletal ultrasound technology to precisely pinpoint an entrapped nerve and surrounding tissue, then inject a mixture of anesthetic and saline into the area around the median nerve to provide cushioning support and alleviate pressure off of it and potentially prevent damage to it. While having needle inserted you may experience either tingling sensation or burning sensation; once injection completed you may notice significant improvement in pain/numbness reduction.
Cortisone injections can be dangerously ineffective and often result in accidental nerve damage due to incorrect injection site. Furthermore, doctors using ultrasound are better equipped to identify nerves with ultrasound images than cortisone injections and administer lower dosages resulting in less side effects, including weight gain or suppression of natural immune function.
Researchers recently conducted a study revealing that hydrodissection of the median nerve is just as effective as surgery in alleviating pain and numbness while improving functional outcomes for CTS patients. They compared results between groups who received hydrodissection with saline injection versus one group who received both ultrasound-guided hydrodissection and steroid injection; both groups showed significant improvements in CTS symptoms while simultaneously decreasing surgery requirements.
Chiropractic Care
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms typically include numbness and tingling in the fingers and palm. This condition results from compression of the median nerve in the wrist due to repetitive hand motions or other causes like obesity, pregnancy, arthritis or fractures. Home remedies may provide temporary relief; however, they usually don’t treat its source.
Chiropractic treatment plans focus on relieving pressure from the median nerve, usually through manipulation of forearm, wrist and hand joints. Other methods, including massage, heat and ice therapies, electrical stimulation or acupuncture may also be employed as necessary for individual patients.
CTS patients can benefit from therapies like Acupuncture to ease pain, numbness and tingling associated with CTS. Acupuncture works by inserting needles at specific points on wrist, arm and hand for 15-30 minutes – some patients may require multiple sessions before experiencing relief from numbness and tingling.
Massage helps ease tension in muscles in the forearm, wrist, and hands by relaxing their stiffness and numbness. Furthermore, massage increases circulation which in turn decreases fluid accumulation in wrists. A chiropractor may recommend strengthening exercises that target wrist and hand muscles as well as ergonomic adjustments which reduce stress on wrists and fingers.
Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids to reduce swelling, thus relieving pressure from the median nerve. You can either take this in pill form or inject directly into the carpal tunnel area.
Maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular breaks from repetitive activities and limiting excessive hand motions are all ways that can help alleviate symptoms of carpal tunnel. Medication such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium may reduce inflammation and pain; wearing a wrist splint at night is recommended; physical therapists may offer exercises designed to stretch fingers and wrists if discomfort continues; for further evaluation contact Novus Spine and Pain Center or your primary care physician for further evaluation and evaluation.
Physical Rehabilitation
Carpal tunnel syndrome can make even simple tasks such as grasping a cup painful. Though surgery may seem daunting, there are numerous effective non-invasive therapies that provide real relief from pain, tingling, numbness and weakness associated with CTS.
Physical rehabilitation is a hands-on approach designed to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility in the wrist and hand. Stretches and exercises help relieve pressure on the median nerve, alleviating symptoms of CTS. Physical therapists also often recommend ergonomic adjustments at workstations or homes in order to minimize wrist strain.
Acupuncture is an alternative therapy for carpal tunnel, consisting of inserting needles at specific points on the wrist, forearm, and hand to relieve pressure off of the median nerve and relieve symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness and other sensations associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Studies have proven its efficacy at alleviating CTS symptoms while improving hand function.
Massage therapy is another alternative treatment option for carpal tunnel, proven to relieve tension and increase circulation in both wrist and hand. Massage can be administered either with hands-on manipulation of forearm, hand and fingers or using an effleurage tool that involves gently rubbing inside of forearm with thumb. Effleurage has long been an ancient practice used to relax muscles, encourage blood to return to affected area as well as calm nerves.
For severe cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, surgery may be performed to decompress the transverse carpal ligament and release pressure on the median nerve to reduce pain, tingling, numbness and other symptoms associated with CTS. The procedure typically uses open or endoscopic release; however there is also an ultrasound-guided incisionless approach. Surgery typically applies only in instances of persistent symptoms that don’t respond to conservative treatments such as physiotherapy, bracing and steroid injections; although some patients can achieve spontaneous recovery without formal medical interventions.
Massage
Massage can relieve pain and other symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, including numbness, swelling and improved grip strength. Massage works by relaxing the tendons in your wrists and hands which relieve pressure off of the median nerve, thus alleviating symptoms. You can do it on your own at home or seek assistance from physical therapist.
Initially, a therapist applies jojoba oil or another suitable lubricant to the palm and forearm, before using light gliding movements called effleurage to warm up wrist and hand muscles and tendons, then friction to target muscles and tendons. Finally, thumbs over palm base in circular motion are used to break adhesions up; after which “kneading” movement pulls at all three directions from tendon-tendon junctions in three dimensions for pulling apart adhered collagen; repeat this motion multiple times until all adhesions have been cleared away completely.
Therapists offer much more than simply relieving pressure off of the median nerve; in addition to relieving any associated pressure points on this vital artery. Therapists can address trigger points and tight muscles in your shoulder, arm, forearm and hand which could be contributing to wrist pain or numbness. Furthermore, pectoralis and subscapularis muscles can be worked on to enhance shoulder mobility and balance.
Doctors usually recommend overnight wrist splinting or using steroid injections as the only treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome; however, massage therapists have other effective techniques available called myofascial release that provide reliable results across all stages of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Massage therapists specialize in relieving tension and adhesions in the muscles, fascia and other tissues of your shoulder, neck, elbow, forearm, wrist and hand to reduce muscle tightness and increase flexibility in those areas. In addition, stretching and mobilization techniques may be utilized to increase flexibility within affected regions as well as myofascial points contributing to symptoms more efficiently than working directly on muscles of hand and wrist alone.
Some individuals diagnosed with carpal tunnel may actually be experiencing Thoracic Outlet Syndrome instead, with symptoms that include pain, numbness and tingling in thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky. Massage may offer relief of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome without resorting to surgery; check with your insurance plan regarding coverage details.
