CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Wrist and hand pain can be debilitating; impacting all of your daily activities and keeping you from work, rest and play.  The experts at In Motion can diagnose your condition and provide an integrated, team approach to help get you back in motion.  One of the most common conditions impacting the wrist and hand is carpal tunnel syndrome.

The carpal tunnel is a small passage in the wrist that is made up of bones(carpals) on three sides and the transverse carpal ligament on top. The tunnel contains flexor tendons, that serve to flex the fingers, and it provides a pathway for the median nerve to supply the hand. Repetitive flexion and extension of the wrist may cause swelling of the tenosynovium, referred to as tenosynovitis. Due to the limited space in the carpal tunnel, the tenosynovitis applies increased pressure on the median nerve producing carpal tunnel symptoms.

Although it is widely accepted as The cause for the syndrome, the carpal tunnel isn't the only area of the body where the median nerve may be impinged. We must take into account that nerves travel directly from the spinal cord, bundle together to form part of the brachial plexus, and go all the way into the extremities. Therefore, the disturbance of the nerve could take place anywhere along that path.

To use an analogy, we all remember how a kink in a garden hose affects the water coming out the opening. The hose either expels less water or no water at all, depending on the ser verity of the kink. The same goes for your nerves. You can have a slight or extreme impingement that would affect the nerve and what it supplies, from that point forward.

The complexity of wrist and hand pain makes it essential to consult an expert for a diagnosis and proactive treatment plan.  The multi-disciplinary Health Team at In Motion will provide you with the answers you need and a plan to get you back in action.