4 Ways Chiropractic Helps Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Sufferers
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a serious, painful nerve injury that affects many people in the United States. CTS occurs when the median nerve, which runs down a person's forearm to his or her hand, gets compressed in the eight bones in the wrist called the carpal tunnel.
This injury is frequently caused over time by repetitive motion such as assembly line work and is the most expensive work-related injury. Symptoms of CTS include pain and numbness of the hand and wrist. While there are a variety of treatment options available to those who are afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome up to and including surgery, chiropractic care has become a popular and effective option.
Here are four ways patients with carpal tunnel syndrome benefit from chiropractic care.
1. Chiropractic care is documented to work on CTS
While there are no guarantees that any one mode of treatment will work on every person, two studies have shown strong results that back the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for CTS.
In both cases, the majority of participants showed significant improvement in several measures such as range of motion, finger sensation, and pain reduction. These studies provide evidence to people suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients can feel confident in improving their symptoms when choosing to pursue a chiropractor's care.
2. Chiropractic provides a less invasive treatment option
Carpal tunnel syndrome, particularly cases that have gone undiagnosed or treated for an extended period of time, can end up becoming too painful and advanced to be handled with medicine alone, thus making patients with advanced cases face surgery. However, chiropractic care often helps minimize that option as a last resort. Regular visits to a chiropractor can show positive results in the controlling and healing of many CTS symptoms--even those CTS symptoms developed only after long-term suffering with the condition.
3. Chiropractic offers an alternative to drugs to manage pain
As with surgery, daily doses of medicine may be a less than ideal plan when managing carpal tunnel syndrome. Certain patients may suffer from issues with the medicine for CTS, as CTS medicines often conflict with other medication(s), or they may simply not want to take daily medications at all.
If medicinal treatment is not an attractive option, a chiropractic appointment is the next logical step. Chiropractic care often helps CTS by adjusting the patient's elbow and spine.
Another common treatment is bracing. This technique limits the hand's movements, allowing the wrist and tendons to heal and recover.
Most chiropractors are experienced with carpal tunnel syndrome and will review each case individually to make solid treatment recommendations that will alleviate the patient's dependence on managing the pain with drugs.
4. Allows patients to learn how to manage CTS
Unfortunately, health problems that produce chronic pain can take a toll on the patient not only physically, but psychologically. Dealing with CTS can make a person feel powerless over their own body. Working with a chiropractor to relieve, control, and heal the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome empowers the patient to be able to feel ownership of managing and improving his or her health.
Workers who perform repetitive tasks daily as part of their job need to be especially aware of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Feeling pain, numbness, tingling, or burning in their palms or fingers may be the first symptoms of CTS. The earlier it's diagnosed, the more effective less-invasive treatment will be.
Of all the carpal tunnel syndrome treatment choices, chiropractic care offers the dual benefits of being a highly effective treatment while still employing tactics that are not as invasive as other options. If you or a loved one are suffering from this condition, give Milar Chiropractic a call for an appointment at one of our 6 area locations. We’re here to help when you're in pain and here to keep you feeling your best when not. So, no need to worry anymore. At Millar Chiropractic...We got your back!
Millar Chiropractic Clinics - Huntsville, AL
