The carpal tunnel is positioned within the underside of the wrist. It is a tunnel, or passage, through which the Median nerve moves on its way to affect and enliven the hand and fingers. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve entrapment disorder. As the name suggests, the problem takes place when a nerve is impinged or trapped between other tissues of the body causing inflammation of the nerve. This can happen if the size of the tendon enlarges as the result of irritation or overuse, or if the tunnel, itself, gets smaller because of a misalignment of the carpal bones.

Initially, the symptoms include pain, numbness, pins and needles, and tingling in the fingers and hand, particularly the thumb and adjacent two fingers. These symptoms are especially noticeable at night and in many cases wake people from their sleep as they have to sit up in bed and shake-out and/or rub the hands in an effort to decrease these unpleasant feelings. Moreover, the hands can feel clumsy or weak, and fatigue easily with activity. In the course of time, grasping small objects with the thumb and fingers can be markedly affected and, if left untreated, can develop into a complete disability of the hand.

In order to diminish the disabling symptoms associated with the advancement of CTS, accurate diagnosis and suitable management are vital.  It would be wise for you to try chiropractic as your first treatment option if you are experiencing the pain and disability associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.  You can find out more about safe and natural chiropractic care, and what it can do for you, by calling Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard.

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What exactly produces the problem? Holding a cell phone to the ear causes the elbow to bend, thereby stretching the nerve between muscles and tendons. When the arm is bent for long periods of time, the nerve gets inflamed. “Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose,” said Dr. Peter J. Evans, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center. “With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit.” The first symptom of cell phone elbow is usually pain just below the elbow in the forearm. This is usually followed by the sensation of pins and needles in the pinkie and ring finger. In the most severe case those fingers can curl up and become difficult to use.

The good news is that the condition is easily preventable and treatable. Users are simply encouraged to avoid holding their phone in one position for too long in order to reduce the amount of strain on the affected muscles. For those who are already feeling strain, it is advisable to do simple stretches in order to help prevent some of the damage.

Your Chiropractor in Oxnard also offers this suggestion: A quiet walk in the park or along the beach with your cell phone turned off or, better yet, left behind, would not only go along way in reducing cell phone elbow, but it might do a lot to improve the health of your psyche as well!

This study was published in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

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