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Theory : Carpal Tunnel 

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        Welcome to Bodymindresources.com’s class on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Today we will be discussing the anatomical occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrists, what we can do to prevent it and treat it. Let’s begin.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that occurs when too much pressure is placed on the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is a small passageway through which the median nerve, as well as the tendons that operate the thumb and fingers must pass. The location of the carpal tunnel is right at the base of the palm and wrist and it creates a tight fit even in a healthy structure. Sometimes, through repetitive and improper use of the hand and wrist, the tendons can become inflamed. When the tendons swell within the tight carpal tunnel, there is no longer enough room for everything to fit comfortably and this places pressure on the median nerve. This pressure creates tingling and loss of feeling in the hand. It can also inhibit your ability to pinch you thumb to your fingers.

Whenever a nerve is pinched, it loses some of it’s circulation or blood flow. The blood is what brings nutrients to the nerve so a pinched nerve becomes somewhat starved. As it is pinched, it starts to shut down and go numb. When the pressure is relieved, as long as it has not been allowed to be pinched for too long, the feeling will come back and the pain will dissipate.

At this point I should mention that it is not just repetitive stress injuries that cause carpal tunnel, although they are by far the most common. Anything that decreases space in this tunnel can cause it. If you fracture the bones and it shifts the walls of the tunnel, or if you were simply born with a smaller tunnel. You could be retaining water and this would decrease the space in the tunnel. But more likely than not you have simply been misusing your hands, wrist and forearms.

How to prevent carpal tunnel

When doing your work, it is very important to keep your wrist position as close to neutral as possible. When the wrist is neutral, you have the most space possible in the carpal tunnel. Any time you flex or extend your wrist, you decrease the size of the tunnel and placing unnecessary friction on the tendons and pressure on the median nerve. 

It is important that you understand that even if you are just sitting at a computer all day, you are an athlete from the elbow down. You must warm up the muscles before exercising them or they will become inflamed and you will decrease the amount of space in the tunnel.

How to fix carpal tunnel if you already have it.

If you have a severe case of it, sometimes surgery is indicated. You should discuss this with your doctor after you have exhausted every other possibility and not before. Chances are, your carpal tunnel is just an inflammation of the tendons. So one priority is to decrease the inflammation in the tendons thereby increasing the amount of room in the tunnel. Another priority is to unstick the muscles and tendons from eachother. Since there has been inflammation, you can bet that the tendons and muscles of the forearm and hand are stuck together with connective tissue. This does not allow them to function independently of eachother so whenever one muscle contracts, it pulls on all the others creating further aggravation and inflammation. Our next priority is to give the tendons and nerves time to heal. You must take a rest from the actions that are causing the inflammation. If you will not do this, then at the very least keep your wrist in a perfectly neutral position at all times, in all actions. Perhaps you should as your doctor for a wrist brace to keep it neutral, but the tendons do need a rest. Take care of yourself.

I should also mention, that often what you think is carpal tunnel is not really carpal tunnel. Similar symptoms can be caused by impingements of other nerves in the area or the same nerve higher up its route anywhere from the forearm to the spine. As the nerve bundles get pinched up in the shoulder and neck area they start calling it thoracic outlet syndrome. Chances are if you have problems in your carpal tunnel you could use some work opening up your ribcage and neck so our lab section will also help treat the possibility of other nerve impingements like thoracic outlet syndrome.

Before we end our theory section, I want to briefly discuss the subject of nutrition with you. There is more to any disorder or disease than the repetitive actions of your wrists. You have to be taking care of your body nutritionally as well. Every function in your body depends on the fact that it will have the necessary building blocked to maintain itself. If you are not putting these building blocks into you body through food and hydration, you are asking for dysfunction. You can not get better without proper nutrition and proper hydration. It will not happen without it. You must be drinking a minimum of eight 8 oz glasses of water every day. This is the minimum. I would drink more than that. Please take time to ready Class 5 in the Heal Thyself Series. I highly suggest you put yourself through the Heal Thyself Series. There is no such thing as an isolated problem in the body. Your body works as a whole. Learn how to maintain it. Let’s go to the Lab.