carpal tunnel syndrome treatment

Myofascial Release as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a neurological disorder of the median nerve.  The median nerve is the main sensory nerve in the hands and fingers.  When someone experiences carpal tunnel syndrome, this nerve becomes trapped and crushed inside the interior space of the wrist called the carpal tunnel.  When nerves are crushed, they transmit signals to the brain that are interpreted as symptoms in the hand and wrist.

Most of these symptoms happen because the median nerve can no longer transmit signals to the hand muscles efficiently. The symptoms usually begin on the thumb and first finger. The one finger that is never involved in carpal tunnel syndrome is the pinky, the median nerve does not innervate that finger.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms

Patients have experienced variations of:

  • pain
  • numbness
  • tingling
  • burning
  • soreness
  • itching
  • swelling
  • sensation or puffiness
  • hand weakness
  • loss of fingers dexterity
  • and shooting electric shocks

Traditional Medicine for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief

When patients chose traditional medicine for carpal tunnel relief, they must recognize that every medication has side effects. Such as some of the known corticosteroid side effects include tendon/ligament weakening or rupture because most of the tendons of the hand pass thru the carpal tunnel.

Traditional medicine remedies for carpal tunnel syndrome are:

  • wrist splinting
  • anti-inflammatory drugs
  • corticosteroids injections in the carpal tunnel
  • surgery

Myofascial Release and Carpel Tunnel Syndrome Relief

Myofascial release breaks-up restrictions and tissue adhesions in and around the tendons inside the wrist joint.  Specifically, It breaks the restrictions in the fascia.  The adhesions cause tendon inflammation and swelling.  Such swelling is the underlying reason that causes carpal tunnel symptoms.  John F. Barnes Myofascial Release should be the “go-to” treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome because it breaks up adhesions and loosens restrictions around the flexor tendons. This permanently reduces tendon inflammation and swelling.

When patients undergo myofascial release treatments, they experience pain relief from the median nerve. Since the nerve is no longer compressed, it does not produce any more symptoms, such as pain, numbness, pins and needles (tingling) etc. An added bonus to carpal tunnel syndrome relief is that no surgery will be required.

Myofascial Release has been found to be very effective in treating carpal tunnel that the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) called it effective medicine for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Current treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome may be ineffective or associated with complications or recurrence. In the case reported here, a myofascial release by the physician combined with the patient’s self-stretch reduced pain and numbness and improved electromyographic results.

The manipulative approach releases the transverse carpal ligament, -and “opens” or dilates the canal. The patient stretches the wrist, digits, and thumb, including myofascial components.

Abstract of Myofascial release of carpal tunnel syndrome

BENJAMIN M. SUCHER, DO.

Carolina Gutierrez

Treating carpal tunnel syndrome is very effective with myofascial release therapy.

We have found that patients seeking Myofascial Release therapy for carpal tunnel have found the most success by scheduling treatments at least twice a week for approximately 4 weeks. This aggressive regimen has provided the most relief from carpal tunnel pain even in the most severe cases.

However, it is not a one-size-fits-all. Each patient is different. The severity of the restrictions will be different as well. It’s important to have an evaluation before receiving treatment.

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