Dr. Mark Holland sees a lot of people 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 condition that stems from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.
A recent study published 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 discovered that the women had reduced cervical flexibility when compared to a healthy control group.
In addition, they also observed that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel pain was related to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In other words, the less flexibility in the neck, the higher the level of pain.
This study is extremely important, as you can't successfully treat a problem until you fully understand its source. By realizing that the root of carpal tunnel symptoms is in the neck, this means that natural approaches such as chiropractic can often restore normal function, reducing the need for risky surgery.
If you are suffering from carpal tunnel pain, call our North County, St. Louis, MO location and ask how Dr. Mark Holland can help you get relief!
Research 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.