Dr. Holland sees a lot of people troubled with carpal tunnel syndrome in our busy Downtown St. Louis, MO chiropractic office. While some people think that the origin of this wrist-related pain is muscular, it's actually a condition that arises from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.
A recent study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy evaluated 71 women between the ages of 35 and 59 who were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Upon investigating the subjects' neck range of motion, the doctors discovered that the women had reduced cervical mobility when compared to a healthy control group.
Furthermore, they also discovered that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel pain was connected to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In short, the less range of motion in the neck area, the greater the level of pain.
This research is very important, as you cannot successfully address a problem until you fully understand its source. By recognizing that the root of carpal tunnel pain is in the neck, this means that all-natural approaches like chiropractic can often restore normal function, eliminating the need for risky operations.
If you have carpal tunnel pain, call our Downtown St. Louis, MO location and ask how Dr. Holland can help you get relief!
References
De-la-Llave-Rincon A et al. (2011, May). Women with carpal tunnel syndrome show restricted cervical range of motion. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy;41(5):305-10.
Simon H. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. University of Maryland Medical Center. Updated May 6, 2012. Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome on November 2, 2015.