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An Option for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) affects over 75 million people worldwide. Unfortunately, it's rarely treated in a timely fashion. Many people will ignore the pain and discomfort until they can no longer use their arms and hands, at which point they will see their doctor and head down surgery lane. But what you may not know is that if caught early enough, there are simple, non-invasive treatments such as massage therapy, stretching, and posture correction that can reverse the affects of CTS. Surgery may in fact be counterproductive because it can lead to scarring and inflammation which often exacerbates the condition.

So, what exactly is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, you ask? It is a condition in which the median nerve (running through the forearm) is squeezed as it passes through the narrow path (or tunnel) at the wrist. This pressure often causes feelings of numbness, tingling and pain in the fingers and thumb. It makes it difficult or painful to make a fist, lift objects or make other small movements with the hands and fingers.

     There are many ways to get CTS, but unfortunately the exact cause cannot be identified.  The most common way is through repetitive motions that require excessive use of the hands, wrist and/or fingers, such as typing, knitting, kneading, playing a musical instrument or using a tool, like a jackhammer. Wrist injuries can sometimes lead to developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but this is not as common. CTS has also been linked to people with diabetes, certain kinds of arthritis and people who experience hormonal changes (such as pregnancy or menopause). In general, more women than men get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

     If you think you are experiencing symptoms of CTS, check with your doctor first. They will be able to perform specific diagnostic tests to confirm or deny the potential diagnosis. If you catch it early enough there are plenty of ways to recover from it. Some of which include: changing the activity that's causing you pain and discomfort in the first place. As stated above, CTS can be caused by a repetitive motion. If you are able to change up how you're doing whatever it is you're doing, it can eliminate the pain and swelling. Also, rest and stretch often, stay hydrated, ice your hands/wrists for it will keep the inflammation down, maintain good posture, and lastly, get a massage!

   Relaxing your muscles and tissues is quite possibly the single most effective way to counteracting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The Touch Research Institute in Miami, Florida performed a study that found that the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel are "lessened following massage therapy." They discovered that functional activity and grip strength were increased, while pain was reduced. In most cases, a combination of self-massage and professional therapeutic massage is recommended.

     To practice self-care, stabilize one hand or arm on a surface such as a table or a bed and squeeze or press into the body part with your other hand, forearm and/or elbow, working the muscles and tendons with medium to deep pressure. This should be done on a daily basis to help ease the tension and discomfort caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Along with self-massage, it is important to receive professional therapeutic massage on a regular basis. It is important to treat the tissue connected to the entire pathway of the median nerve, and to correct as many sources of stress to the tissues as possible. Massage therapy is the best way to achieve this goal.

     Whether you've just started experiencing some of the symptoms or have dealt with them for quite a long time, using these healthcare tips are a great way to recover from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If, of course, you are not finding relief or still have questions, you can always check with your physician. At the very least, I hope that reading this information has helped you on your path to recovery.

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Comment by Brian Tucker on November 7, 2011 at 10:14pm: Thank you for the insight -- Blessings and Peace

Comment by Gordon J. Wallis on October 19, 2011 at 4:23pm: http://www.softtissuerelease.com/index.php?option=com_content&v...

Yea I know.. I used soft tissue release techniques on her is all... I learned it years ago from this guy..the above link....it pretty much takes care of carpal tunnel.. if its in the forearms.. Its nothing special that I do..Thats why I'm amazed at the flack I get from saying what Im saying....But the guy in the above link created soft tissue release, and has been curing carpal tunnel for years. Way before I started using it.. The chiropractors noticed how good soft tissue release works compared to what they have to offer.. Which is next to nothing. So they rearranged it a bit, made it cost a lot of money, and called it Active Release... Its the same thing...But the guy above invented it.. It works exceptionally well.

Comment by Daniel Cohen on October 19, 2011 at 3:38pm: Very nice Gordon. Not the no show but the woman getting away from the medical track.

Comment by Gordon J. Wallis on October 19, 2011 at 3:29pm: Home for lunch...Just as a follow up on the carpal tunnel thing..A client that I worked on a few days ago, came in today just to tell me that her arm and wrist feels so much better now( only one massage) that she canceled her injection that was scheduled..She has been suffering with carpal tunnel for years..Because of the interventions they have been doing on her...It will take a little while longer to clear it up.. All I'm going to do is remove the muscle element of her pain, which is the whole thing, and she will be better. She is freaked out happy..Brought me some sushi even as a gift. Its not a totally perfect day, because I also got no showed for an hour massage....and that's a bummer.

Comment by Jennie Degen on October 19, 2011 at 12:04pm: If I could "like" your comment like I'd be able to on Facebook, I totally would :)

Comment by Gordon J. Wallis on October 19, 2011 at 11:42am: The doctors dont know how to properly diagnose it...Thats why they tell their patients that the surgery might not work.. Obviously that means they are doing surgery on people that dont have carpal tunnel..Or they wouldn't be saying that...I can tell within five minutes if they have carpal tunnel or not,,,,... easy....What doctor knows that a trigger point in the scalenes can cause wrist pain? They dont.. I do....You can say its out of my scope .But muscles are what I work with..I know my job.. I point it out to my clients..Feel that muscle flip under my fingers... see how sore it is. Feel it in your wrist.....And besides, clients know if Im helping them or not..There is no guessing on their part .No manipulation on my part..They feel the pain gone..and stop the medical intervention themselves.. All I have to do is make the sore spots go away..and more often then not...All their presenting symptoms go away too...carpal tunnel or whatever...I do that on almost a daily basis.. Im not out of my scope.. Im doing my work...Im almost 60 years old..and done this long enough to know with a high degree of accuracy if I can help someone or not...I can tell the difference between nerve pain an muscle pain easy. Im not the only one that knows this...Lots of experienced therapists know this..People are afraid to talk about it openly.. Ive had a few therapists in here privately email me..Saying they are afraid to talk about it openly for fear of reprisal..... There was a hairdresser that use to work with me..Her wrists hurt her from all the work she has done over the years ..She ran to the doctors..Got both wrists operated on..And guess what...She still has carpal tunnel in both wrists... Cutting that nerve did nothing to stop the trigger point pain in her muscles that was actually causing her pain. They don't know how to properly diagnose it. Now Im not in here to tell people what they should do if they have pain in their bodies..But if I get them on my massage table, I know if I can help them or not..And they know it too.

Comment by Jennie Degen on October 19, 2011 at 8:40am: I agree with everything you say Gordon, however I do believe that if someone thinks they have CTS then they should see their doctor to get properly diagnosed. As massage therapists it is out of our scope of practice to diagnose. But once they have the diagnosis from them, they don't necessarily have to follow their doctor's guidelines; that's when they should see us! But at the same time, anyone thinking they have CTS doesn't HAVE to go see their physician -- like I said: that's only if they want a diagnosis.

Comment by Gordon J. Wallis on October 19, 2011 at 8:33am: Thats true Daniel...Ive personally stopped several surgeries.. Without a doubt,like you said, massage is the best modality when it comes to carpal tunnel...Thats why it always amazes me to see massage therapists running off to the doctor because they think they have carpal tunnel? It comes back to education system thats dysfunctional in this industry. I wonder why?.. .....Gosh, when I think about all the needless surgeries for carpal tunnel...Good work Daniel... One of the surgeries that I stopped.. The lady(the one scheduled for surgery) told me that her doctor said the surgery might not work. If someone really had carpal tunnel..When they cut that nerve,the pain would stop.. If it doesn't work, thats because the trigger point pain is still there in one of the muscle structures..Scalenes , extensors or whatever...Doctors know nothing about muscle pain..They are the worst ones to go to for that problem.. Yet it continues.. I wonder why? I read in a massage text , that said.. If you think you have carpal tunnel..go see your doctor.. Yea right...lol Kiss your massage career good bye at that point...

Comment by Jennie Degen on October 19, 2011 at 8:00am: I work out of a Chiropractor's office, and it is absolutely so true, that sometimes symptoms of CTS are actually caused by an impingement of the nerve. And I think it's horrible that doctors are so quick to act thinking surgery is the answer. I would like more people to know that massage can help! Thanks for commenting :)

Comment by Daniel Cohen on October 19, 2011 at 7:56am: Impingement of the nerve that is often referred to as carpal tunnel syndrome can be at the neck, shoulder, elbow, forearm muscles, or carpals. It is often misdiagnosed as being a problem of the carpals. Perhaps this is because it is the easiest surgical intervention.

I have run a program in companies for twelve years that offers chair massage. We are effective in prevention of and recovery from CTS. Where we have been the longest there has not been a CTS diagnosis in 8 years. In the first year 6 scheduled surgeries were canceled. In each location we have reduced soft tissue workers' comp claims by over 95%.

Massage is the most effective approach.