Scalene Muscle Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief

Bodies are just so amazing!  They want to be well.  Sometimes they need a little help from you to get better.  Sometimes they need a little help from a professional massage therapist who understands bodies.

There are muscles in your neck which can cause carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome.  (Syndromes are collections of symptoms.)  These muscles are called the scalene muscles, or scalenes.  There is a set of 3 or 4 on each side of your neck.

If you go to a professional massage therapist, ask whether he or she knows how to treat the scalenes.  They are very often the cause of carpal tunnel symptoms.  You cannot really lift them but appropriate finger pressure from a skilled professional can help them relax or re-set.  Let the therapist show you where they are and explain how they will treat them.

The sternocleidomastoid is also called the SCM muscle.  It’s directly pretty much in front of the scalenes on each side of your neck.

You have 2 pairs of SCM’s, one pair on each side of your neck.  These muscles run from the “notch” in the middle of your collar bone to the skull bone just behind your ear.  They are more prominent.

Your scalene muscles are kind of hidden by, or tucked behind, the SCM muscles and collar bone.  The SCM needs to be moved out of the way in order to access the scalenes.

Well, the truth is that when muscles are tight, or when there are trigger points in muscles, there may be some discomfort as they are being released.  This is normal.

If you have any concerns or extreme discomfort, be sure to talk to your massage therapist.  It is, after all, your body!