Brooke's Tip of the Week-Curing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Do you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Do you use your hands for work? Do you work in the garden a lot? Do you work at a computer all day? Do you have Numbness, Tingling, or Pain in your fingers, hand or wrist? You may have carpal tunnel syndrome.

When most people think about carpal tunnel, they think of the wrist. They try to stretch their wrist, massage their wrist & or even get surgery on their wrist. 

Carpal tunnel is when the muscles of the forearm are too tight, causing them to shorten and pull on the fingers, pulling the bones of the wrist (the tunnel made out of carpals) closer together, which creates less space for nerves to go through. Nerves get pinched, the wrist feels tight, and the carpals become dislocated.

In surgery, they will typically just cut the ligament covering the tunnel! And yes, this creates more space, because there is no longer a tunnel... But they cut a perfectly functioning ligament! This is just crazy, the muscles in your forearm will still be tight after surgery, and more problems will arise. The answer is not surgery; the answer is bodywork, stretching, and relaxation.

When someone comes to see me and they tell me they have carpal tunnel syndrome, here is what I will usually do to help give them relief. First and foremost, I work on their forearm. This is the most important part of curing carpal tunnel (Yes, it can be cured!). I work on the belly of the muscles and the attachments at the elbow. I will spread the carpals (bones of the wrist) allowing for more space through the tunnel. I also use myofascial release techniques to stretch and loosen the forearm muscles. I also work on muscles of the arm and shoulder; all of these muscles attach to the forearm muscles through connective tissue.

It likely took you years to develop this syndrome, so it's likely not going to go away overnight, but in time it will! With bodywork and stretching (from a therapist, and also stretching yourself) it will go away.

Giving your arm a break for a week or two from whatever you're doing that's causing the tightness in your forearm will greatly accelerate the healing process as well. I know that sometimes it's hard to do that, but this is your body we're talking about here, it's important.

Another thing that helps and is often overlooked is hydration. Without enough water, our muscles become stickier and do not function as well as they could. The more water, and blood flow, we have in our muscles, the happier and healthier they will be. Drinks like Coffee, Tea & Sodas are diuretics and dehydrate you further. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, and you will heal much faster.

Hope to see you soon!

~Brooke