Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel has plagued desk workers for years. If you are experiencing pain, numbness and tingling into your hands you may be suffering from carpal tunnel.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome involves the median nerve that runs through your forearm and supplies sensory and motor function to the hand. As the median never enters the palm of the hand it passes under the transverse carpal ligament. This ligament and the bones of the wrist (the carpal bones) together form the carpal tunnel, this is how the condition got its name.
What causes Carpal Tunnel?
Most commonly caused by repetitive work with the hands and wrists.
Pressure placed on the hands and wrists (leaning on desk or other objects)
Carpal tunnel can sometimes become irritated due to hormonal factors
Trauma to the median nerve
Symptoms of carpal tunnel can occur in one or both hands/wrists.
Numbness/ tingling into the thumb, pointer and middle finger. This is a tell tale sign of carpal tunnel.
Wrist and hand pain
Decreased grip strength
Inability to hold a pencil or write
Stiffness of the wrists
If you are unsure if you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome it is best to have it properly evaluated in our office. Many of the symptoms listed can also be caused by a problem elsewhere in the body, specifically the cervical spine. Whether you may be suffering from Carpal tunnel or a possible cervical radiculopathy, rest assured both conditions respond extraordinarily well to conservative care.