Massage as Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

What do you do if your doctor tells you that you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?  While highly effective, massage for Carpal Tunnel is often not brought up by conventional doctors. Symptoms of CTS include numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and fingers as well as pain that can radiate up the forearm.  The pain is caused by constant pressure on the median nerve – the main nerve to the hand.  The pressure most often results from swelling or thickening of the wrist tendons due to repetitive wrist movements.  Poor office ergonomics, turning a wrench or using tools all day, playing an instrument, or sleeping in an awkward position can cause or exacerbate CTS.

Traditional treatments recommended by MDs for Carpal Tunnel have been anti-inflammatory or steroidal medication and splinting the wrist to limit movement. While splinting helps the patient avoid lying awkwardly on the wrists while sleeping, it can actually cause additional swelling during the day, as he or she goes about performing normal daily activities. The medications can have side effects and only last as long as they are taken regularly.

Also, very commonly, patients undergo surgery to sever the swollen carpal ligament, thereby creating space for the median nerve so it is not being constantly compressed. Unfortunately, surgery isn’t the magic bullet for relief of CTS symptoms either – after surgery, some still feel pain, tingling, and numbness. Sometimes, even a successful surgery does not last and once the patient goes back to the work or the hobby they used to enjoy, the condition eventually returns.

An alternative not always considered, is massage. Many patients have had success using massage for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and are often able to rid themselves of the condition altogether. Massage helps relieve CTS symptoms by breaking down scar tissue and adhesions in the muscles of the wrist and forearm, caused by trauma or overuse. Restoring the affecting muscles to full elasticity allows the wrist to move more freely, as it is supposed to, easing friction on the inflamed areas.  Massaging and stretching the tendons and ligaments of the wrist directly further aids recovery by relieving the pressure these tendons and ligaments are putting on the Median nerve that is causing the pain and tingling.

CTS symptoms will not disappear after one massage treatment but they can improve significantly and continue to improve with further treatment. Massage therapists can also teach you specific stretches for the hands and forearms to relieve CTS symptoms and help you remain symptom-free.

If you suspect you may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or another medical condition or are currently being treated for CTS, please consult your physician before beginning any new treatment.

Acupuncture for fatigue and Pain Management

Acupuncture for Fatigue And Pain Manangement

By Rachelle Holmes of Chicago Breast Augmentation and Chicago Liposuction Center, Metropolitan MDs
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of health care and treatments on the planet, but it still serves its purposes even today. Now, while inserting dozens of needles into your body doesn’t seem like the most fun way to treat ailments, acupuncture is a tried and true therapeutic practice that has helped people deal with pain for centuries.

 

By inserting needles into various pressure points around the body, physical pain and stress can be relieved and even treated using acupuncture. For most, it’s funny to think that sticking needles into the pain areas and pressure points of the body would be the answer, but when it comes to people who suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, it might just be that.

 

New studies have shown that that acupuncture in certain areas of the body releases adenosine, which is a natural pain killer that is usually released after an injury. This allows people who are suffering from constant fibromyalgia to gain some much-needed relief.

 

By releasing adenosine, pain signals can be blocked from ever reaching the brain thus helping sufferers deal with their pain problems. This brings up a lot of questions about how much acupuncture has to do with adenosine release and if this is the reason that so many benefit from it. Yet, whatever the reason, studies have shown acupuncture to be great at treating the condition and helping the people who suffer from it.

 

From the fatigue angle, the study also went on to show that adenosine released from acupuncture has a lot to do with the regulation of the sleep cycle. By being able to regulate sleep correctly, chronic fatigue syndrome may be able to be properly treated and even fixed.

 

Acupuncture paired with the correct medicine can help both constant pain and fatigue, as new studies have gone on to show. This is good news for sufferers of both ailments, and goes to show that this ancient art of health may still have some new tricks to share.