Does Chiropractic treatment help get rid of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)? This question came from a reader.
Here’s the Question:
“Do you think chiropractic can help with wrist pain and CTS because, as you said, CTS is a whole body issue. Chiropractic tries to make the whole body in alignment with a focus on the spine. I’m not a chiropractor so I don’t really know what I’m talking about.” =)
Here’s my Response:
(I’m not a chiropractor either, so here are my best thoughts.)
1. If a wrist or bones in the hand are dislocated (not broken) and a chiropractor
could “adjust” them back into place, it seems that would help. Some do adjustments of other parts beside the spine and some do not.
2. When the spine is out of alignment or will not stay in alignment, the reason is generally because muscles are pulling the spine out of alignment. Muscles move bones.
3. By adjusting the spine, the philosophy, to my knowledge, is to keep the spine functioning correctly without pressure on nerves so they can do their job and theoretically that should allow all of the body to function well.
4. It’s a very good question but I suspect it wouldn’t help because it wouldn’t address the soft tissue issues of strain or trigger points. I am not aware that chiropractic aids posture, either, which is a frequent factor in CTS.
5. I have to admit that I’m highly biased about the value of manual bodywork therapies like massage because that’s my background. The opinion of many chiropractors would possibly be much different from mine.
Yes, I think it is possible to treat that syndrome with Chiropractic but it is still better to consult for a doctor for your cure.
Hi Helene,
Really appreciate your input.
People with an anatomical leg length difference such as you have often have migraines because walking with a tilt puts a lot of strain on the muscles at the base of the skull. They can have other pain, too, such as hip pain on the short leg side or low back pain or TMJ dysfunction.
Lifting your entire foot on the short leg side enough to level your hips will go a long way in helping you feel better, have fewer migraines, and fewer problems with your neck and muscles.
A shoemaker can split a firm rubber sole and add a layer of neoprene rubber to lift the short leg. This doesn’t work with air or gel type shoes.
Kathryn
Because of old knee surgeries, I have unequal leg lengths which means that I need help re-adjusting my spine every so often.
What I’ve found is that a spinal adjustment really helps my neck, muscle, and migraine issues. To the point where if I’m in a phase where I have a cluster of migraines, I know it’s time for a spinal adjustment and yes, it makes a noticeable difference.
So I’m thinking, since carpal tunnel is a whole body issue and is often caused by shoulder or neck muscle tension, a spinal adjustment could help.
After living so many years on the planet with my structural imperfections, I’ve now learned to feel which would provide the needed relief: working on the muscles directly, or getting a spinal adjustment.
Thank you for your input, Al.
The problem with a great deal (most?) of our medical treatment is that it looks to eliminate symptoms rather than knock out the causes.
Here and there we do find alternative and conventional medical practitioners who do look for causes, but they tend to be few and far between (at this time.)
Kathryn
I tend to agree. Chiropractic is about putting the bones back in their correct positions but doesn’t always address the reasons why they are out of position in the first place.
When I had real back problems, chiropractors really helped me get through it, but didn’t help address the causes in the long run.
Of course, many chiropractors are broadening what they do as time goes to address this very deficit and I’d hope their education is advancing as well. But for real solutions, I’d look elsewhere.