Carpal Tunnel Syndrome . and what you can do about it

CEBU, Philippines - Repetitive work – such as long uninterrupted typing, which is very common as more and more people spend hours in front of the computer – as well as conditions like diabetes, arthritis, obesity and pregnancy, are among those that can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS.

CTS is caused by the irritation of the median nerve at your wrist. Carpal comes from the Greek word karpos, meaning wrist. Fibrous tissues surround the wrist and these act as a support for the joint. The space between the tissues and the wrist bone is called the carpal tunnel and this is where the median nerve passes through. The median nerve is responsible for receiving sensations from the thumb, the index and the middle fingers. When the surrounding tissue changes in position or swells, the median nerve is squeezed tight and irritated. This then leads to numbness and tingling of the thumb, index and middle fingers, or what is known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Melche “Boy” Caudor of the MC Back To Health Center located at the La Paloma Subdivision in Tisa, Cebu City, said more and more people are complaining about carpal tunnel syndrome, mainly because people spend so much time on the computer.

“There are instances that carpal tunnel syndrome can make it hard for a person to move his fingers or even open and close his or her hands. This is so because blood flow in the area is constricted,” he said.

Common treatments for CTS are immobilization of the wrist using a splint, weight reduction for obese individuals, and surgery. Most doctors suggest surgery to prevent serious and permanent damage to the nerve and the surrounding tissues.

Caudor, who is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, however, explained that surgery is not necessary.

“The power to move the wrist down to the fingers comes from the arms, the shoulder and the back. Most of those who have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome have sub-scapularis tendonitis, or an inflammation of the large triangular muscle near the shoulder joint,” he explained, adding that treatment of the tendonitis can solve the CTS problem.

According to Caudor, surgical treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome are usually temporary and not long term solutions to the problem. “The nerve is constricted because of the tendonitis. Treat the tendonitis and there will be no nerve constriction, and blood flow will become normal.”

Aside from massage therapy, Caudor also uses the Infratonic Qi Gong Machine and the Gua Sha Tool to promote blood circulation and to repair scar tissue. “Injured tendons cause scar tissue. The Infratonic Qi Gong Machine promotes the healing of the scar tissue, so the tendon can function properly,” Caudor pointed out.

To illustrate that surgery is not the answer to CTS, Caudor shared the story of one of his patients, an aunt of his son’s classmate, who is based in the US. The patient had surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. However, even with the surgery, she still experienced pain in the shoulder and upper arm.

“The patient heard about the massage therapy I was offering and came to Cebu for treatment. After five sessions, the pain she was experiencing was gone. That was three years ago. I have not seen her since but I received news that she is up and about minus the pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome,” he said.

For more information about how to deal with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other body pains in a non-invasive way, contact MC Back To Health Center at 261-9166 and 0922-8607312 or [email protected].