Home
Greeting
Goals / Promise
About Us
FAQs
Treatment
Pets
Case Studies
Speaking / Topics
Articles
Endorsements
Links
Classes
Events
Maps
We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is defined as occurring when tendons or ligaments in the wrist become enlarged and usually inflamed after being aggravated.  The narrowed tunnel of bones and ligaments in the wrist pinch the nerves that go to the fingers and muscles.  The aggravations may come from cumulative trauma of the wrist, diseases, or conditions such as pregnancy, diabetes, thyroid gland imbalance or obesity. However, many cases are diagnosed that have no known cause.  Carpal Tunnel is responsible for more than 40% of all work related disabilities.

Symptoms may appear as burning, tingling, numbness or decreased feeling in the fingers, especially the thumb, index and middle fingers.  There may be difficulty gripping or making a fist and a tendency to drop things.  There may be an inability to distinguish hot from cold with the hand.

The carpal tunnel is the opening into the hand that is comprised of the bones of the wrist on the bottom and the transverse carpal ligament on the top.  The median nerve and the flexor tendons run through this opening into the hand. 

The median nerve supplies sensation to the thumb, index, and middle fingers and half of the ring finger. This nerve also supplies a branch to the thenar muscles in the thumb, which are very important to the movement of that digit.

The flexor tendons allow the hand and fingers to move so they may grip things.  The tendons are covered by the tenosynovium, which is very slippery.  It allows the tendons to glide against each other as the hand grips.  Any irritation or inflammation of the tenosynovium can cause it to swell and thicken causing pressure in the carpal tunnel against the median nerve. This pressure on the nerve may prevent it from functioning properly.

The standard medical treatment of carpal tunnel is to immobilize the wrist with splints and prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs or injections to reduce swelling. Approximately 26,000 people a year also undergo surgery and have the ligament cut at the bottom of the wrist. For some people even multiple surgeries do not reduce the pain or restore function to the hand. Approximately one percent develop permanent injury.

Windsong Therapy and Wellness uses myofascial and other non-invasive manual therapy to gently restore alignment to the body and relieve the restrictions that may be causing the symptoms.

View Case Studies about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

[Home]

This website last updated on 31 July 2010

This website is entirely funded by Windsong Therapy and Wellness, Inc.
We accept no advertising or other funding.

Disclaimer:
All information available through this Web site is intended for general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice, assessment or treatment of any of the conditions discussed. You should always consult with your medical practitioner or specialist regarding medical care and seek their opinion in relation to your medical condition. Individuals involved in the operation of this site are not responsible for your use of this information or for any information provided in linked sites, articles or pages.  References and copies of source material are available upon request.

Confidentiality of data relating to individual patients and visitors, including their identity, is  respected by this Web site.  The owners of this Web site undertake to honor or exceed  the legal requirements of medical / health information privacy that apply in Texas and the United States.

The information on this Web site is Copyright © 1999-2008 Windsong Therapy and Wellness, Inc.  Please obtain permission from Windsong Therapy and Wellness, Inc. before reproducing any information from this Web site.