Double Trouble: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or The Creepy Dead Hand in Ottawa ON

When hand pain is experienced, it's common to first suspect carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition is caused by the narrowing of a bony passageway in your wrist, which irritates or compresses the median nerve that runs through it.

Symptoms tend to be in the thumb, index finger, or middle finger, along the path of the median nerve. The pain may wake you up at night or be worse in the morning. In the early stages, shaking your hand may bring relief.

The exact cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Ottawa ON is not known but repetitive movements, pregnancy, as well as arthritis, and broken bones can cause the "compressed" nerve that leads to it. How do you know if you have CTS?

The 5 most common signs of carpal tunnel in Ottawa ON:

• Aching, painful feeling
• Numbness
• Tingling or pins and needles
• Weaker grip
• Tendency to drop things

It is important to know that carpal tunnel only affects the first 3 fingers and the inside half of the ring finger. If symptoms go into the pinky finger at all then it won't be a carpal tunnel and usually a sign of nerve pressure elsewhere in the arm or neck.

Now, and this is a very important point, carpal tunnel syndrome doesn't necessarily mean that the problem is at the carpal ligament in the wrist. There are 5 known spots where the median nerve can get pressured, ranging from the neck to the elbow, to the wrist. Some research states that carpal tunnel surgery is only 50-60% effective…this isn't a risk I would take without trying all other options first.

At Britannia Chiropractic in Ottawa, we see multiple cases of carpal tunnel per year. I personally can't remember the last case that didn't improve significantly with our objective approach to finding and removing misalignments (be it in the neck, elbow, or wrist).

If you want to learn more about Carpal Tunnel, feel free to book a complimentary consultation with us HERE.