Dr. Mark Holland sees a lot of patients struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome in our busy North County, 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 arises from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.
A recent study printed 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 researchers found that the patients had reduced cervical flexibility when compared to a healthy control group.
Furthermore, it was also found that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel discomfort was connected to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In short, the less range of motion in the neck, the greater the level of pain.
This research is very important, as you can't effectively address a problem until you fully understand its source. By recognizing that the root of carpal tunnel issues is in the neck, this means that all-natural approaches such as chiropractic can often restore normal function, eliminating the need for risky surgical procedures.
If you have carpal tunnel pain, call our North County, St. Louis, MO office and ask how Dr. Mark Holland can help you get relief!
Studies
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.