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What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome refers to the
symptoms that result from compression of the carpal tunnel on the palmar
side of the wrist. The wrist bones are called carpal bones. They fit
together like little puzzle pieces bound by ligaments and form an
archway that protects the nerves, arteries and tendons that pass from
the arm to the hand. When there is compression of the arteries and
nerves, either from trauma or thousands of micro traumas that occur with
repetitive stress injuries, the “Syndrome” can result. Symptoms
associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include wrist pain, weakness,
numbness and tingling.
If you experience repetitive stress
such as working as a checker in a grocery store, use a hammer regularly
or work long hours on a computer, you may end up experiencing some of
these symptoms. It’s important to look at your work stresses and
minimize them where possible. An example is making sure you don’t type
with your hands arched upward. It is better to have the wrists
supported so the hands are in a more natural position. It is
recommended to have someone with knowledge of Ergonomics analyze these
stresses and make recommendations.
Another consideration for Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome is something we look for in our Los Alamitos office.
The nerves that become compressed in the wrist are the same nerves that
pass from the spinal cord in the neck region, between the vertebrae,
under the collar bone, underneath the pectoralis minor muscle and inside
the upper arm. It is important to determine if the symptoms experienced
in the wrist are coming from compression of nerves further up. This is
like putting a kink in a garden hose close to where the hose attaches to
the house. The water pressure will be lessened from that point all the
way to the far end of the hose. We’ve had many patients that had their
Carpal Tunnel symptoms relieved simply by having misaligned (subluxated)
vertebrae in their neck fixed. Our patient Dan R once commented,
“Whatever you’ve done form my neck fixed my carpal tunnel syndrome. The
doctor (MD) recommended surgery for both of my wrists but they feel fine
now”.
Contact :McMullin & Stark
located in Los Alamitos, CA for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
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