Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common workplace injuries in the United States. Often the result of inefficient posture while typing or driving, it causes pain in the wrist and along the arm, leading people to miss work or make their pain worse by pushing through it. At ChiroCare in Glendale, we treat musculoskeletal ailments throughout the body, with a particular emphasis on impinged nerves. Every case of CTS is different, but we offer a variety of complementary therapies that don’t involve drugs or surgery.
The carpal tunnel is a hollow space in between bones and connective tissue inside our wrists. The nerves that lead to our fingers emerge from the spinal cord in the neck and wrap around each other in the shoulder, before dividing again in the arm. Two pass through the carpal tunnel: one that leads to the thumb and first three fingers, and one that leads to the pinky. The carpal tunnel also contains the tendons that allow the fingers to move. The space is tightly packed, and its walls are not very stretchable. When tissues outside the tunnel or the sheaths surrounding the tendons become inflamed, they can compress the nerves to the hand. This would result in pain, tingling, or numbness along their length.
When people don’t maintain proper posture while typing or driving, or if they do jobs such as painting that frequently require them to lift their hands over their heads, they risk overtaxing the tendons in their wrists. Reducing inflammation will require a short period of rest, but in the long-term, a patient will need to do stretching exercises to increase their flexibility. We can provide advice on maintaining better posture and provide safe pain management treatments, including cryotherapy and low level laser therapy. We can also help determine whether there is another problem in the patient’s neck that is causing pain along the nerves to their hands, and provide appropriate adjustments.
Dr. Jack Alajajian and his staff operate ChiroCareLA.com at 815 E Colorado Suite 250, Glendale CA, 91205. Call 818-246-3600.