Helping One Patient Avoid Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Repetitive motion, such as typing, texting, or assembly line work, commonly causes carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which refers to numbness and tingling in the hand and arm caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist.

How the Upper Back & Lower Neck Affect the Wrist

The nerves in the lower back and neck, especially the C-5, C-6 and C-7, go all the way down the hands to the fingers. The upper part of your thoracic spine starts with your little finger and goes all the way to the T-1 area. The C-5 area goes to the index finger, so your upper back and neck have much to do with what you see in your wrist and hands.

Many people experience wrist issues because of prevalent daily computer usage, and a lot of it is mistaken for carpal tunnel. But it actually has to do with how your wrists are placed and the mat you use; when you’re using a mouse, there’s constant nerve compression.

The Role of Chiropractic & Other Modalities

With carpal tunnel, Dr. Steven finds that patients have restricted motion and tight muscle trigger points, which can refer to pain or numbness down the arms. In addition to chiropractic care for addressing CTS, we can provide muscle stimulation and stretching exercises, which are very helpful for lengthening muscles. We teach patients exercises appropriate for their condition.

How Non-invasive Chiropractic Care Helped a Patient

One of Dr. Steven’s patients from the past came in saying she needed to have carpal tunnel surgery. “I told her it’s quite possible it’s coming from the lower part of your neck and upper back.” He said that chiropractic care will either help her or it won’t. This person had wrist and arm sensations, and the issue was indeed coming from her upper back and neck,” said Dr. Steven, who added that the neck often gets misdiagnosed.