“When I try to thread a needle, button my shirt, or crochet, I can’t seem to feel my finger tips. I’ve also noticed when unscrewing jars, my grip feels weak. In fact, I almost dropped a cup of coffee the other day. I wake up 3-4 times a night and I have to shake my hand and flick my fingers to wake them up. Gripping the steering wheel is becoming a challenge and I have to change hands frequently while I drive. I work in Bellevue, WA and its starting to become impossible to do my job at my computer cause I hurt so bad! I’ve had this off and on for the last 5 years but this last year it seems to be getting worse. I’m really getting concerned. Can you help me?”

This is something that I hear on a daily basis, and his condition called carpal tunnel syndrome. It is an extremely common disorder affecting them many Americans each year. It is especially a concern for many of those who work and live in Bellevue Washington at a computer on a daily basis, as this is one of the aggravating factors.

CTS is the result of pinching of the Median Nerve as it travels from the neck into the arm, through muscles in the forearm and into the hand through the carpal tunnel. This nerve can become pinched at the neck, any of the muscles in the arm, or bones of the wrist. This tunnel is quite small in size and included inside the tunnel are 9 tendons, blood vessels, and the median nerve. This condition usually occurs when the muscles joints and tendons of the forearm and hand are overworked, and swell up. Because the carpal tunnel is normally so tight, the increased swelling inside the tunnel pushes and pinches the median nerve creating the classic pain, numbness, tingling, and sometimes burning sensations often described by people suffering with CTS.

Certain people tend to be more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in women than men by up to 4:1. This is mainly because women have smaller bone structure and therefore the median nerve has a smaller tunnel to travel through.

Women also experience fluid retention or build up during menstruation leading to symptoms like swollen fingers and swollen and painful breasts. Swelling in the already tight, confined space of the carpal tunnel will increase their susceptibility for developing CTS. Another hormone related cause or contributing factor is the use of birth control pills (BCPs). Since there are many different types of BCPs and each woman is unique and different, finding the BCP with the “right balance” of hormones where the swelling side effect is minimized is very important and should be discussed with the doctor who prescribed the BCPs.

Chiropractic management of CTS includes wrist, forearm/elbow, shoulder and neck adjustments, corrective exercises, the use of night splints, and an anti-inflammatory diet. Also, correcting the “ergonomic factors” or, job-related causes is of utmost importance. This is why a chiropractor who treats all of these areas and has the specialized knowledge about CTS is the perfect choice of health care providers. If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

Michael Weir, D.C.is a localBellevue Chiropractor. His office, Back in Action Chiropractic, can be locatedat 1940 116th Ave NE #101, Bellevue WA 98004, and the office phone number is 425-635-0495.