If you have wrist pain and you’re wondering if it is carpal tunnel syndrome, then you need to have a proper examination. Just because your wrists hurt is no indication that you have an issue with your carpal tunnel or in your wrist at all, for that matter. We’ll talk about the anatomy of the wrist and other appropriate bodily structures in just a moment to help you further understand what is happening. Then, we’ll discuss what may be involved to help you truly get back on track.
To begin with, the wrist has many small bones, some of which form the ‘floor’ of the carpal tunnel. Then you’ve got the distal ends of your radius and ulna bones of the forearm. The ‘roof’ of the carpal tunnel is made of the carpal ligament, a band-like tissue. Within the carpal tunnel travels tendons, blood vessels and your median nerve. When the structures of the tunnel become too big for the space, this is when symptoms arise.
There are also associated structures in the neck or cervical spine which could also be leading to your problem. The nerves of the lower neck leave your spinal cord and form the nerve roots which branch together making the nerves that travel into the arm, hand and fingers. One such nerve is the median nerve roots.
Tingling and numbness that is most associated with the symptoms of carpal tunnel is clinically determined to affect the thumb and first two fingers of the hand. If you are experiencing tingling or numbness in your pinkie or ring fingers, then you are not having classical carpal tunnel symptoms. However, tingling or numbness of any kind can also be a sign that you have some areas of distortion or spinal nerve compression in your neck region.
This is where chiropractic care can be quite helpful for you. Some forms of neck pain or wrist pain are actually due to problems that arise in the cervical spine that can be addressed quite well through various forms of conservative chiropractic treatment and management. One such form of care is Network Chiropractic. This gentle approach is effective at helping you release spinal tension and muscle spasms that could otherwise build up and cause you further discomfort and decrease your quality of life.
If you are living with the symptoms of carpal tunnel problems, it would be in your best interest to schedule an evaluation with a chiropractor in your local area trained to work with these types of problems. Not only will you feel more relieved knowing whether you could find help for your pain and numbness, but you would also regain a higher quality of life without the use of drugs or surgery.
Written by Gilbert chiropractor, Dr. Michael J. Funicello, certified Network chiropractic practitioner. For more specific help, you could consult with a chiropractor in your area that you can trust to deliver safe and effective, conservative care.