Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) at the wrist and numbness or tingling in the hand/arm is a common injury in those having to work at desks for many hours. Signs of this injury present in all shapes and forms. Maybe the hand seems weaker or less coördinated, in some cases the muscles atrophy and look smaller, the eventual product is pain and weakness of the hand.
In most case opting for surgeries and injections have not worked and will continue to have no effect on the afflicted area because addressing the symptoms and not the cause doesn’t solve the true root of the problem.
So what causes this annoying pain?
In almost all instances there is some sort of neck involvement and it occurs because of degeneration or a pinching of the nerve at your neck. The pain felt in your hands is a referral pain caused by a weakened or broken signal to the nerve. Nerves also run with a very important blood supply. When the nerve is pinched your circulation limits the ability for waste removal and the ability to give nutrition to many parts of your arm.
The Result:
A breakdown at the hands and hand joints, muscles respond to nerves and will feel tight because the muscles are now excitable to the smallest of sensations and stresses.
In most cases, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a precursor to neck surgery. Neck surgery isn’t pretty—the procedure usually involves going through your mouth or the front of your neck leaving an awful scar and possibly a lifetime of limitations and pain.
There are no real short-term solutions to this and waiting in most cases usually will cause the root problem to become severe.
Don’t wait and let it get any worse. Seek your local physical therapist to get the correct neck, shoulder, and hand exercises and to discuss the nerve impingement.
They should address the mobility and possible degeneration at the neck and relieve the tension from your shoulders down to your hands. Believe me it works!
Your friend,
Dr Justin Lin.