Are you one of those people who are usually hunched over your computer, only to look up and find that many hours have passed without you knowing it? Do you sometimes have a sore or swollen wrist and do not know why? So many people are still working remotely and often don’t realize the long term damage that can occur by constant, repetitious movement, especially when it comes to their wrists and their fingers. It doesn’t matter if you are a young professional or a seasoned executive, symptoms of overuse can start to present themselves no matter your age.
One ailment that is frequently diagnosed is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and another, called Cubital Syndrome, is not as well known. Chiropractic therapy has been proven to be an effective treatment method for both of these ailments.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common hand conditions. It is caused by pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side of the hand. When the median nerve is compressed, symptoms can include numbness, tingling and weakness in the thumb and fingers. There are several contributing factors which can include the anatomy of your wrist, health conditions and in some cases repetitive hand movement.
Most common symptoms:
- Weakness when gripping objects with one or both hands.
- Pain or numbness in one or both hands.
- “Pins and needles” feeling in the fingers.
- Swollen feeling in the fingers.
- Burning or tingling in the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers.
Treatment Options
If you seek care for this condition, proper treatment usually relieves the tingling and numbness and restores hand function.
- Splinting: Wearing a wrist splint at night can help relieve tingling and numbness and may also help prevent daytime symptoms.
- Exercise: Stretching and strengthening exercises can help improve symptoms and may be supervised by a physical or occupational therapist.
- Ergonomic changes: Changing the position of your computer keyboard or making other ergonomic changes can help ease symptoms.
- Rest: Taking more frequent breaks to rest your hands can help.
- Cold packs: Using ice packs can help reduce swelling.
What Is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?
Cubital tunnel syndrome happens when the ulnar nerve, which passes through the cubital tunnel (a tunnel of muscle, ligament, and bone) on the inside of the elbow, becomes inflamed, swollen, and irritated.
Cubital tunnel syndrome causes pain that feels a lot like the pain you feel when you hit the “funny bone” in your elbow. The “funny bone” in the elbow is actually the ulnar nerve, a nerve that crosses the elbow. The ulnar nerve starts in the side of your neck and ends in your fingers. Cubital tunnel syndrome may happen when a person bends the elbows often (when pulling, reaching, or lifting), leans on their elbow a lot, or has an injury to the area. Other contributing factors can include arthritis, bone spurs or even previous fractures or dislocation of the elbow. It can even occur when people sleep night after night with their hands curled and tucked under their chin. What can sometimes be frustrating for patients is that in some cases, the actual cause of the condition is not known.
Most common symptoms:
- Numbness and tingling at night
- Hand pain
- Weak grip and clumsiness due to muscle weakness in the affected arm and hand
- Aching pain on the inside of the elbow
Treatment Options
If you seek care for this condition, proper treatment usually relieves the symptoms. The most effective and immediate treatment is to stop doing the repetitive activity that seems to be causing the issue.
- Resting and stopping any activity that aggravates the condition, such as bending the elbow
- A splint or foam elbow brace worn at night (to limit movement and reduce irritation)
- Using an elbow pad (to protect against chronic irritation from hard surfaces)
- Nerve gliding exercises
