Curing or Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

The name of the painful wrist condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome is derived from the tunnel or tube that reeves through the carpal bones in the heel of the hand. The focal point of the pain is situated in the area where the hand and the wrist meet. Pressure bears on the median nerve if the size of the tunnel narrows, causing the pain and numbness that distinguishes carpal tunnel syndrome.

The median nerve is just below the tendons that can be identified when you turn your palm toward your face, make a fist, and squeeze. These tendons that pop up and run like railroad tracks side-by-side from your wrist to your hand.

Because a lot of people nowadays spend a great deal of time typing away on the keyboard of their computer, they tend to develop carpal tunnel syndrome which has now become a famous work-related condition.

Carpal tunnels syndrome can cause symptoms that often arise after people indulge on a new hobby or start a new job that forces them to use their finger and/or wrist in a repetitive manner. Men are less prone to this condition than women more so if the woman is between the ages of 40 and 70 or if she’s pregnant. The palm, wrist, and/or forearm are the body parts most affected by the pain. There are carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients who may experience a sharp pain when performing repetitive movements and there are patients who may feel a constant tingling or numbing of half of their ring finger, middle finger, index finger, or thumb. Nighttime is when these symptoms worsen. The pain may become so unbearable that in order to lessen the pain the sufferer has to wake up and shake his/ her hands. It’s common for CTS sufferers to have problems with fine motor skills, like crocheting or writing. The affected hand may frequently drop things due to the pain.

According to traditional Chinese medical, carpal tunnel syndrome is the result of three factors: wind, damp, and cold. Wind causes the symptoms of shooting pain in the nerve, damp causes the hand and forearm to feel achy and heavy, cold, makes the patient feel more pain when in a cold environment. These three factors prevent the smooth circulation of qi and blood in the arms.

To treat CTS, acupuncturists stimulate acupoints proximal to (near) the wrist by sticking a needle in and out of the point. The sensation you may feel may be a light electrical sensation that tends to relieve the numbness and pain and help relax the tendons. Various acupuncture techniques may be used to treat CTS. They include laser acupuncture, magnet therapy, electromagnetic acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, or acupuncture needles. More often than not, these may be complemented with moxibustion and/or Chinese herbal medicine.

Besides acupuncture treatment CTS sufferers are advised to refrain from activities that might worsen the condition of the wrists. They may include performing acrobatic activities, doing assembly work, working at a computer, and prolonged writing with a pen or pencil.

Synoma Wellness Centre
2150 Alt. 19, Suite B,
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
Phone: (727) 785-5950
www.palmharboracupuncture.com