Identification of Carpal Tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome. It is a painful condition caused by irritation or compression of the median nerve. Patient complaints are usually limited to the thumb and index finger, but in some cases may also involve the rest of the hand, the wrist and even the forearm.

This syndrome derives its name from the location where the nerve irritation/compression most often occurs—in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. Anatomically, the bones of the wrist are positioned in an arch-shaped arrangement that leaves enough space for nerves, tendons and blood vessels to pass to the hand and fingers—this area is called the Carpal Tunnel. If the passageway of this tunnel becomes crowded, the resulting pressure on the median nerve can result in any of the symptoms mentioned above.

One of the most commonly reported causes of CTS symptoms is inflammation of the tendons passing through the carpal tunnel. However, irritation of the median nerve can also be caused by displacement of one of the carpal bones, or irritation of the nerve at other locations—such as the neck, shoulder or near the elbow. Activities known to contribute to this type of syndrome are those associated with repetitive contraction of the small muscles of the hand: like typing, knitting or sewing.

Chronic Pain

A recent new patient has reminded me that many people consider their chronic pain as hopeless or even worse as normal. A frequent source of chronic pain are the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons of the body. Once these areas are injured, they often heal with a greater concentration of nerves in the tissue. That makes them more sensitive than normal tissue. Healing of these parts called "soft tissues" is seldom perfect but in many cases it is very far from what could even be considered good. The degree to which this tissue becomes more normal again is the degree to which it will be stronger and produce less pain.

Fortunately, with appropriate chiropractic care, these tissues can be stimulated to remodel further towards normal. This will result in better mobility and less pain. In fact, that recent patient who had been believing her condition mostly hopeless was pleased to report (and I was pleased to hear) that she was feeling almost normal again after just a few weeks of treatment!

Thumbs Up

Again recently a patient has come in with a chief complaint of thumb pain. At first you might think, "do chiropractors even work on thumbs?" That is a common question but the answer is emphatically Yes! In fact, we can help many conditions involving the extremities such as the shoulder, wrist, hip, knee and foot. Also what I frequently see is that the person with these problems has usually had them for a long time. Perhaps they have been helped to some degree by other treatments but the patient has given up hope that they will get completely better. Thankfully, in most cases, we can clear up the problem completely. It usually boils down to a lack of correct motion in the joint. That is also what we are dealing with in the spine. Please ask us about your extremity problems and quit accepting that pain as normal.

March in Redmond

No, I'm not talking about a protest in the streets. It's March, spring is just around the corner even as the snowflakes still fly occasionally. It's also the time of year that people start thinking about their yards and doing more activities outside. It's really a terrific time because we need that fresh air and sunshine after a long winter. When you notice that the sun is out, make a special effort to go outside. Take a walk, do a little gardening or whatever. Your body will appreciate the break from your regular activities and you can start getting some vitamin D again. The sun is still pretty low which makes it harder to stimulate D plus it's still a bit chilly to be outside without a bunch of layers. But it's at least a beginning. Bring on the Spring!

Spinal Alignment

Although alignment is important for your whole body, chiropractors specialize in alignment of the spine. The spine (comprising 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx) creates a hollow tube in which the spinal cord - a sensitive collection of nerve tissue - can be found. The peripheral nerves originate from the spinal cord, and then branch out to all other areas of the body. The spinal cord plus all peripheral nerves function collectively as the communication network that allows the brain to monitor and regulate the entire body – via electronic signals. If the spine is not aligned properly, this can disrupt this important messaging network of nerves and nerve impulses, leading to dysregulation and disease in any area of the body!

As early as 1921, medical scientists were revealing the importance of the spine. In a landmark study conducted by Dr. Henry Winsor, he showed that ‘minor curvatures of the spine’ (subluxations) were directly associated with organ disease in 50 human cadavers. Out of 139 diseased organs found in the dissections, 128 of these cases directly correlated to abnormal minor curvatures of the spine in the exact location of the sympathetic nerve supply to that organ! And, for the 9 other diseased organs, minor curvatures of the spine affected the adjacent segments, in areas where nerve filaments could still exit the spine to supply those organs. Dr. Winsor concluded that there was nearly a 100% correlation between minor curvatures of the spine (vertebral subluxations) and diseased organ tissue!

Proper Alignment

You may have heard chiropractors such as myself saying that proper "alignment" is good for your health, but what does it really mean to have good alignment?

Depending upon its intended purpose, a joint is designed to move in a number of different directions (i.e. a hinge joint, or a ball-andsocket joint). Alignment helps to insure the proper balance of stability and mobility. When the alignment of the two connecting parts is ideal, the joint will function as it was originally intended. When the connecting parts are out of alignment, natural movements ar restricted. Different parts of the joint make contact with each other, creating friction and resistance.  Increased friction also results in requiring more energy to perform routine motions.

Not only can this affect functionality, but it also leads to abnormal wear and tear – causing the lifespan of the joint to shorten. Think of the body: the knee joint functions as a simple hinge, with movement in two directions – flexion and extension. If there is misalignment coming from above or below the knee, this can lead to excessive friction and heat in the knee itself (inflammation), which can lead to early degeneration (osteoarthritis).

Happy New Year

May your new year be filled with success, growth, and great relationships!