What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a pain in the wrist and hand that aggravates both grappling and holding positions involving the affected hand.
- Localized pain at the wrist with numbness and/or tingling
- Aggravated by movements involving the wrist in flexion
- Due to trauma or overuse on the affected side causing possible weakness and clumsiness when gripping objects
- Affected ADL’s and/or decrease concentration due to pain
What will be done during these visits –
- Physical examination upon consult including an assessment of finger and thumb range of motion
- Pain scales/questionnaires to be done on the 1st visit and reviewed after the end of the 4 treatments
- Advice on daily living activities/diet/general exercise/Ice protocol (if inflammation present)
- Trigger point therapy and/or Handheld Massage Device to hypertonic muscles
- PIR stretching to hand and forearm musculature (depending on pain tolerance)
- Activator and/or spinal manipulation techniques to other areas that may be problematic (depending on many varying factors)
Reasoning behind therapies/assessments –
- Physical examinations/assessments – These are all done as a precaution so that misdiagnosis does not occur. This also allows for better treatment outcomes which can be lifesaving.
- Pain scales/questionnaires – these screening tools are used to support the diagnosis of neuropathic/mechanical pain and are crucial for both effective management and to reduce the risks of chronicity.
- Advice on daily living activities/diet – This enables advice on how to change to make healthy actions into habits and may offer a valuable alternative with potential for long-term impact.
- Joint manipulation/activator/drop piece techniques – adjustive techniques have been shown to decrease pain and increase range of motion.
- Trigger point therapy/handheld massager – have shown to decrease pain/tenderness, enhance both range of motion and quality of life and influence flexibility.
- PNF/PIR/prescribed stretching – Stretching has been shown to reduce pain and improving functionality and overall wellbeing in patients in both long- and short-term outcomes.
- Prescribed exercises – produce more beneficial outcomes in terms of increased strength, improved function and reduced pain scores.
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