Relieve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy can help with many
different disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome
(CTS). CTS is characterized by pain in the palm, top of the thumb, all
of the pointer and middle fingers, and half of the ring finger.
Sometimes the pain travels up the forearm. Sensations may include
tingling or shooting pain, weakness of the muscles, and/or numbness in
the hand and wrist. The common cause is too much pressure on the nerve
in the wrist. When muscles in this area get inflamed – usually from
being overworked – it can lead to a buildup of connective tissue. The
median nerve then gets trapped between the wrist bones and the broad
band of connective tissue over them called the transverse carpal
ligament.
One reason for the restriction where the median nerve
runs under the connective tissue is that the hand bones may be out of
alignment, putting pressure on the nerve. Although a chiropractor would
have to realign the bones, a massage therapist can work on the muscles
around the carpal bones. This can help relax the muscles, as well as
prevent or limit subluxations in the future.
Another reason for
a “tight fit” under the transverse carpal ligament is that the
connective tissue is sort of like plastic wrap. It is wrapped around
every muscle and organ in the body. (Think of when you use plastic wrap
and how it can get stuck and be hard to smooth out.) So, when one side
of the connective tissue pulls, it can bind a muscle or restrict blood
flow, or the connective tissue can accumulate in the area that is injured
or stressed. When this happens in your wrist, it puts pressure on the
median nerve and causes pain in the hand and wrist. In this scenario,
the massage therapist is not going to work on the muscle directly but
will work to loosen and smooth out the connective tissue.
Many
people with CTS choose to relieve their pain by having surgery during
which the doctor cuts the transverse carpal ligament to scrape away the
buildup of connective tissue. However, sometimes the area operated on
develops scar tissue. Once again, pressure is put on the median nerve
resulting in pain. In this case, a massage therapist can warm up the
area that has trauma and work on the scar tissue to discourage and/or
prevent the build of connective tissue.
Some of the activities
most prone to CTS are those involving forceful hand gripping: playing a
musical instrument, rock climbing, weight lifting, weeding, sewing,
painting, working with tools (e.g. carpenter, mechanic), and writing
(with a pen or keyboard). Even if your activities require repetitive
motion with your hands doesn’t mean you have or will develop CTS, but
you could be affected by related pain patterns in your hand, wrist,
forearm, and/or shoulder.