Dr. Holland sees a lot of patients struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome in our busy Downtown St. Louis, MO chiropractic office. While some people think that the source of this wrist-related pain is muscular, it's really a syndrome that stems from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.
Recent research 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 studying the subjects' neck range of motion, the authors found that the women had less cervical mobility when compared to a healthy control group.
Furthermore, it was also observed that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel discomfort was related to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In other words, the less range of motion in the neck, the higher the level of pain.
This research is very important, as you cannot successfully treat a condition until you fully understand its source. By recognizing that the root of carpal tunnel pain is in the neck, this means that natural approaches like chiropractic can often restore normal function, reducing the need for risky surgical procedures.
If you have carpal tunnel pain, call our Downtown St. Louis, MO office and ask how Dr. Holland can help you get relief!
Sources
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.