Carpal Tunnel Rolla MO

Many people in Rolla Mo suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).  CTS is characterized as pain and or numbness in the thumb, first two fingers and hand.  It can be debilitating in nature. Most people that have CTS perform some repetitive motion daily.  This can be from typing, sewing, hammering, etc.

The pain is caused by a compression of the median nerve from the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is basically a ligamentous structure that supports the tendons and nerves of the hand. Repetitive motions will cause this structure to compress the tendons and nerves causing pain and numbness.

Realizing that most readers want  treatment not an anatomy lesson we will stop with the anatomy for now.

So on to Chiropractic treatment of CTS in Rolla MO. First and foremost the patient must stop the activity that is causing the problem. This is easy for some but difficult for many, it’s your job to sew or to hammer. So maybe I should say at least the patient should modify the activity that causes the CTS. Modifing their job or activity lessens the strain on the carpal tunnel and reduce the inflammation in the structure and the median nerve.

Conservative Chiropractic treatment 1: Change your work habits in some manner. If you don’t do this you will need surgery and you won’t be working at all.

Secondly a cock-up or carpal tunnel brace should be worn on the effected hand. This brace opens the carpal tunnel to its widest spacing or greatest gapping.  This gives the median nerve more space and takes pressure off the nerve allowing it to heal and reduce the pressure and inflammation in the median nerve.  The patient can wear this brace at night or in most of Dr. Moreland’s patient’s cases we ask the patient to wear the brace twenty four hous a day for two to four weeks.  We find this helps the most.

Conservative Chiropractic treatment 2: Wear a CTS brace.

The next conservative treatment method we recommend is cryotherapy to the wrist and wrist only. The patient should not use ice on the palm or fingers.  At Moreland Chiropractic clinic we have the patient place ice on the effected wrist for 15-20 minutes.  This reduces the inflammation in the nerve and the surrounding structures of the carpal tunnel. This procees should be repeated every two hours a day.  In the most acute cases we have the patient do this for seven to ten days.

Conservative Chiropractic treatment 3: Home cryotherapy.

Up to now we have given you the three home activities. We now look at the passive therapies that are employed in the office. Generally patients in the office will receive inferential therapy with cryotherapy for 15-20 minutes to the wrist and carpal tunnel this reduces inflammation and swelling and greatly promotes healing.

This is follow by a myofacial release technique performed by Dr. Moreland that takes about 15 minutes.  It stretches the tendons and ligaments in the carpal tunnel. This technique is vital at improving CTS.  This technique is followed by chiropractic adjustment of the wrist and hand to open the carpal tunnel and improve function. 

This is the conservative treatment performed at Moreland Chiropractic clinic for CTS.  We prefer not to utilize laser or ultra sound therapy for CTS because it increases heat and inflammation in the median nerve and we have not found it beneficial in our office, other practitioners utilize this therapy and they are happy with its results.

If you suffer from CTS and live in the Rolla MO area you should consider seeing Moreland Chiropractic clinic for care.  You could avoid costly surgery and weeks of lost work.

Moreland Chiropractic Clinic

Rolla MO 65401

573-364-8086