Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is pressure on your median nerve; you may feel pain or a burning, tingling sensation in your wrist, hand, fingers, forearm and shoulder. Your grip may be affected and feel weaker.
Image: Essential Anatomy - Median nerve right arm
Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in pregnant women as their wrists swell, however the symptoms disappear once the pregnancy has completed.
Others may get carpal tunnel through repetitive strain of the wrist, for example if you are a typist and your wrist is regularly flexed or extended (bent) rather than straight (as it should be) this can aggravate the nerve.
Doctors recommendations usually are:
1. Wear a splint – to keep the wrist stable and allow the nerve to recover
2. Medication
3. Surgery to relieve pressure from the nerve.
The above work for some people, if it genuinely is carpal tunnel syndrome. However, what if it is something else?
Something else?
There are other conditions that can cause the similar pain and sensations.
Tightness and dysfunction in your shoulder joint and shoulder girdle can alter nerve transmission down to your fingers.
Tension can also build up around your elbow, again affecting nerve transmission.
The radial nerve and median nerve help you move your elbow, wrist, hand and fingers, These nerves can become compressed anywhere along their route.
So if you have pain or tingling down your arm and your grip and finger movement is changing, don’t assume it is carpal tunnel, instead work with a good soft tissue therapist and explore what’s going on with your soft tissue along the route of the nerves.
Little to no movement in the ring finger
I recently worked on a client who complained of shoulder pain radiating down to her hand, loss of sensation in her fingers to her doctor. The doctor recommended carpal tunnel surgery to which she agreed.
Upon completion of surgery and several weeks later, sensation in her fingers still hasn’t returned, with almost no feeling in the ring finger. On top of it all, she’s still waiting for the site of surgery to heal.
I did some soft tissue work – myofascial release and EMMETT technique around her upper back, shoulder, arm and elbow and movement immediately improved in her ring finger which she had very little sensation in following surgery to restore movement.
There was a lot of tension in the muscles around the shoulder girdle which changes the position of the shoulder joint. Tension in the shoulder joint itself could have been compressing the median nerve, along with tension around the elbow, again along the route of the median nerve.
Image: Essential Anatomy
Circled areas indicate areas treated where tension was being held.
The nerve could well have been compressed by the carpal bones, but prior to surgery I would highly recommend having your soft tissue assessed and released along the route of the nerve first. When the nerve is able to move freely, it won’t be irritated.
Poor posture?
Most people have dysfunctional shoulders due to poor posture, and this can cause all sorts of issue down the arm all the way down to your fingers. So if you know your posture is far from great, improving that is a good place to start.
Surgery can be affective, however it should always be your last resort. There may very well be more than one explanation as to why you feel what you do. Investigating the other possibilities could not only save you from a painful surgery but also the inconvenience that comes following surgery.
Is this you?
Do you have weakened sensation, tingling or burning in your shoulder, arm or fingers? Losing your grip strength? Making day to day tasks challenging as picking up and holding things is becoming harder?
If this is where you are, don’t despair. Start with a soft tissue treatment and then you can start to rule things out.
I am Sabrina Qua - Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Coach and Personal Trainer based in Worcester Park, Epsom, who helps people resolve or significantly reduce their musculoskeletal aches and pains through an integrative approach, so they can live active, enjoyable lives. More tips and information available in my Facebook group Reduce Pain and Move Better.