The Carpal Tunnel is a confined space located on the palmer side of the wrist -- containing nine forearm tendons, and the median nerve. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an overuse injury of the wrist compression or entrapment of the median nerve. This creates numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain along the distribution of the median nerve. The thenar (thumb) muscles, the second, third, and half of the fourth finger are affected. This is most common among office workers, assembly line workers, and butchers. The repetitive motion of flexion and extension of the wrist is what causes CTS. In CTS the pressure is increased, and that is what causes the symptoms of CTS.
Causes of CTS:
repetitive movements of the wrist
systemic conditions that cause edema and fluid retention (ie, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, and pregnancy),
Naturally small canal space
Trauma
Deficiency in Vitamin B6
Symptoms of CTS:
Most commonly the dominate hand is affected
Getting woken up at night with pain in affected wrist
Local pain at the wrist, later stages, pain may present at the forearm
Movement is limited loss of function of the wrist
Clumsiness of the thumb and index finger
Medical Treatment of CTS:
Splinting the wrist in a neutral position
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Vitamin B6
Surgery -- a longitudinal incision is made along the carpal tunnel
Massage and Physiotherapy
Massage Therapy can help with reducing the edema, fascial restrictions, hyper tonicity of the muscle, trigger points within the muscle, and stress.
Massage Therapy is also preventative factor. Any person that is at risk of CTS, should receive massage therapy on their wrist and forearms. The use of stretching, hydrotherapy and self massage are also great preventative factors of CTS.
Contrast Arm Baths, are AMAZING for people to do with any wrist or forearm discomfort, from over use:
Preferably performed in a double kitchen sink. One side filled with cold water and the other side filled with hot/warm water (be CAREFUL to not skull yourself with hot water). You place both your hands, wrists and forearms into the sink, starting with the hot/warm water first, and hold the forearms in the water for 60 seconds. Then alternate to the cold water and hold the forearms in for 30 seconds. You alternate 3 times. Finishing with the cold water.
Stretch the forearms once you are finished with the contrast arm baths -- elbow is straight and flex the wrist and hold for 45 seconds and then extend wrist and hold for 45 seconds.
You will notice the immediate rush of circulation to the forearms and wrists.
