Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Ponca City Oklahoma Chiropractor Dr. Leon Bristow, D.C. talks about what carpal tunnel syndrome is. First let’s start with what the carpal tunnel is. Carpal refers to the small bones in the wrist. They are called the carpal bones. These bones form the back and sides of the tunnel. A ligament crosses over the top from one side to the other side. This encloses the tunnel. Now what goes in the tunnel. Many of the muscles in the forearm go to the hand. A number of these tendons going into the hand pass through the tunnel. The other thing that passes through the tunnel is the median nerve. The median nerve goes to a portion of the hand. The syndrome is when this nerve is supposedly being compromised in the tunnel which causes damage to the nerve going to the hand. The median nerve does not go to the whole hand, only a portion of the hand. The idea that has been fostered is that the tendons get inflamed and swollen which causes pressure on the nerve in the tunnel. The nerve does get damaged but it can actually happen in several locations. The damage to the nerve causes pain and discomfort in the hand as well as loss of muscle strength in the hand. The swelling in the tendons can come from damage to the muscles in the forearm. The damage to the tissues is usually caused by repetitive tasks of a prolonged nature. These tasks use the hands over and over for the same or similar tasks all day ever day. The damage in the forearm muscles can compromise the nerve as it runs through the forearm muscles before it ever gets to the tunnel. The nerve can actually be compromised back at the neck where it starts or as it passes between the collar bone and the first rib into the shoulder. The nerve problem can actually be what is called a double or triple crush syndrome meaning that the nerve can be compromised in more than one location at the same time. The small bones in the carpal tunnel can also move into the tunnel thus closing the space in the tunnel as well. There are many different things that can be going on in carpal tunnel syndrome which is why the surgery for this condition does not have a good record for success. There are several things that need to be checked to properly treat this condition. The bone structure neds to be checked to be sure it is properly aligned in several locations from the neck and arm joints all the way down to the wrist. The damaged tissues need to be properly treated as well to repair the damage and stop the swelling. Eliminating pain and restoring the body to normal healthy function is my number one priority in practice. Helping the body to repair damaged tissue is a critical part of eliminating pain. For more information on how I work to help the body repair damaged tissue please follow the link to Directional Pressure Therapy.
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