Massage Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The carpal tunnel is a canal in the wrist. It is comprised of bone on three sides and the flexor retinaculum on the other side. This canal is shared by the median nerve with nine flexor tendons of the hand. The median nerve is the most superficial and any increase in size of the contents of the carpal tunnel results in the median nerve being pressed against the flexor retinaculum. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is numbness, tingling or pain that is caused by pressure on the median nerve. In more severe cases there have been reports of weakness in grip strength.

People that have jobs or hobbies that require a combination of repetitive wrist or finger motions are at an elevated risk of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Pinching, gripping or working with vibrating tools are examples of activities that can increase a person’s risk of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Furthermore, women are three times more likely than men to develop the syndrome. Other contributing factors to elevating the risk developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are age, weight and taking oral contraceptives.

There are several options for addressing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The massage option can be extremely effective and is considered the first option by many. A splint or brace can be used to minimize the movement in the wrist. This is not an option in most people because a repetitive movement is typically a necessary movement. If the movement is required to complete your job, it would be difficult to wear your brace and perform your job. For instance, if you were a massage therapist it would be extremely difficult to perform a quality massage wearing a splint or brace. There are steroids and non-steroidal drugs designed to treat the symptoms. These drugs can be effective at times, but can involve painful injections and side effects must be considered. When all else fails, there are surgical options. The endoscopic option is the least invasive and preferred, but when it isn’t an option the surgeon will perform an open incision surgery to relieve pressure on the median nerve.

The best way of stopping the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is by not performing the repetitive motion that caused the condition. This is not an option for some people because they can’t perform their job any other way. Massage therapy can be an excellent alternative for these people. Massage therapy can be used to treat existing symptoms or as a preventative measure to insure that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome doesn’t develop. As a preventative measure for a person in a high risk category it is recommended to set up a schedule with a massage professional that can be tailored to your specific situation. These schedules are typically on a monthly basis and incorporate a lot of range of movement into the massage. The massage professional may also provide the client with exercises to do at home between sessions. Massage therapy as an intervention will be scheduled more frequently. The sessions are typically set up weekly until a breakthrough in pain is achieved. During these sessions the massage professional will perform thorough strokes on the hand, wrist and forearm flexors. The massage professional may determine that the nerve is constricted where it leaves the spinal area. In this situation, it may be necessary to include the shoulder and upper back area in the massage treatment. Gentle range of motion exercises are also incorporated. The client will be given exercises to do between sessions and as pain subsides, sessions will become less frequent.

There is a growing trend towards massage therapy being the first option as treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and studies have shown a lot of success. More people are choosing to take medication as a last resort and most everyone elects surgery when all else fails. Massage may not be the answer for everyone’s situation, but given the high success rate it has achieved, massage therapy should be tried before jumping into a surgery. Book an appointment with a massage professional at www.desteneesalonandspa.com.

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Tags: Massage, Massage Therapy