Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
How NUCCA Helps
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition caused by swelling and pressure inside a tunnel-like structure of the wrist called the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is made up of the 8 small bones (carpal bones) at the base of the hand, and a ligament, or fibrous tissue, joining those bones together.
Passing through the carpal tunnel are the flexor tendons—connective tissue that allows the fingers to move—and the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand. Any repetitive motion that causes the wrist to flex and extend—such as typing, knitting, assembly work, or playing the piano—may result in swelling and thickening of the protective sheaths surrounding each of the tendons.
This swelling, in turn, causes pressure on the median nerve, which serves as a pathway for sensory cells in the hand. When this nerve is compressed, symptoms of CTS—which may include tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness in the fingers, wrist, or arm—may appear. In addition to repetitive motion, injury or diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, or thyroid disorders may lead to CTS. Women are 3 times more likely to develop the disease than men because, some think, the carpal tunnel is often smaller in women than in men.
NUCCA: How It Can Help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The standard medical approach to treating CTS may include a splint to immobilize the wrist, diuretics (water pills), anti-inflammatory drugs, or corticosteroid shots to reduce swelling. As a last resort, surgery may be performed, but recovery may take months or years, and even if the pain is eliminated, symptoms may return over time.
In the NUCCA approach, it is important not only to treat symptoms but also to determine the cause of the problem. The NUCCA practitioner usually examines the neck and spine before the wrist. There are a group of nerves that come out of the mid- to lower-neck region and branch out to the arms, hands, and fingers. Pressure on any of these nerves, especially the median nerve, may result in CTS.
Specific imaging studies of the cervical (upper neck) region are taken to locate a misalignment of the vertebrae. Insight Subluxation Station space age technology, is used to scan, measure and monitor the nervous system for possible irritation. If a misalignment has been found to affect nerve function in the wrist, then very specific gentle adjustments are made, by hand, to correct the misaligned vertebrae in the neck.
After the adjustments have been made, follow-up imaging studies and nervous system scans are taken to confirm a successful spinal correction. Once the spinal correction is accomplished successfully, normal nerve function is restored to the wrist, and many patients with CTS find relief.
