Carpel Tunnel

SETWHOLEBODYREHAB.com

BEYOND CARPAL TUNNEL

(and other nerve entrapment

symptoms of the arm)

Carpal Tunnel & Nerve Entrapment Syndromes

By the year 2000 approximately 50% of all Workers Compensation cases will involve some form of nerve entrapment syndrome of the arm. CARPAL TUNNEL syndrome is the most recognized, but other common conditions are ACCUMULATE TRAUMA DISORDER, REPETITIVE STRAIN/STRESS of the arm, RAPID MOTION INJURY, TRIGGER FINGER, TENDONITIS, and TENNIS ELBOW. Symptoms can range from minimal tingling in hands and fingers to severe pain or numbness, and slightly limited range of motion to debilitating immobility.

Symptoms and common complaints of nerve entrapment in the arm are:

• Numbness in the hand

• Pain in the wrist & forearm

• Sharp pain radiating down arm

• No feeling in fingers

• Weakness / clumsiness of hand resulting in problem grasping

• Hardness of the hand resulting in muscles atrophying

• Limited range of motion of wrist or fingers

• Swelling of hands, forearms, or fingers

• Inflammation around joints of the elbow,

wrist, hands, or fingers

• Adhesion build-up in the arm

• Progressive immobility in the fingers, hands, wrist, forearms, or elbows

• Sleep interrupted by pain

What causes nerve entrapment

of the arm?

Any repetitive motion involving the shoulder, arm, or hand creates stresses within the

muscles and at the tendon attachments, which often results in injuries and inflammation. Those most prone to developing nerve entrapment syndrome would be computer operators, bank tellers, hairdressers, therapists, people doing a great deal of sewing, craft work, fishermen, writers, painters, and carpenters to name a few. Structural imbalance also contribute to this problem, especially internally rotated shoulders, forward head posture, and rounded shoulder syndrome. When repeated motion stress is placed on an already compromised structure, as described above, pain and restricted movement results.

Description of conditions

and therapies

The Structural Energetic Therapy (SET) techniques developed by Don McCann effectively treats the symptoms of nerve entrapment by flushing fluids and toxins from the musculature, and releasing myofascial holding patterns, adhesions, scar tissue, and inflammation. The therapist also addresses the imbalance within the musculoskeletal system with specific attention to the internal rotation of the arm. These are key factors in nerve entrapment syndrome. (NICS) craniofacial techniques are integrated to initiate an unwinding of the body’s holding patterns which releases some of the tightened musculature allowing for more effective soft treatment.

Structural imbalance can cause specific muscle groups and/or muscle fibers to work harder than others, which lead to a build up of ischemia and waste products in those areas. This results in swelling and inflammation of the tissues which then becomes part of the pain involved with the nerve entrapment syndrome. When a muscle swells from retention of fluids and toxins, direct pressure is placed on the nerves passing through - indirect pressure is caused by the shortening of the affected muscle putting tension on its tendon attachments at the bony prominence's where the nerves and attachments pass through together. Specific massage techniques are used to flush these fluids from the tissues and clear trigger points resulting in reduced pressure on the nerves relieving some of the pain!

When the musculature is compromised by structural imbalances and/or swelling and inflammation caused by injuries, muscle atrophy can develop and the muscles cannot function correctly. This results in strain patterns, overuse of the tissues causing micro tears to develop. Scar tissue and adhesions can form in these areas form repetitive motion or stresses that can create myofascial holding patterns that determine patterns of tension and movement.

Complications from this may produce splinting to protect injuries, binding of individual muscles and muscle groups reducing range of motion, and movement patterns that produce inappropriate

repetitive patterns of motion. Thus, the myofascial holding pattern prevents a balanced usage of the muscles, creating the strain patterns ultimately involved with nerve entrapment. Properly applied directed myofascial unwinding techniques are used to release the holding patterns, along with specific fiber work to release adhesions and normalize scar tissue. This will relieve nerve pressure and allow individual muscles to lengthen increasing range of motion, releasing the splinting that is restrictive to normal usage of the extremity, and allow new, more appropriate movement patterns to develop.

When these problems exist in the forearm, the median nerve pathway is involved - this is the major contributing factor in the most common of nerve entrapment syndromes - carpel tunnel. The carpal canal is found on the palm side of the wrist through which the median nerve and nine flexor tendons pass. Inflammation in this area creates the specific symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The specific techniques described above are used to relieve this condition.

The whole pattern needs to be released in order to address the nerve entrapment syndrome. If the structure doesn’t improve, the patterns that cause the symptoms of nerve entrapment syndromes still exist, and the recovery is brief and not complete. So the focus is brief and not complete. So the focus is on releasing the entire syndrome to create a balancing of the structure in order to achieve the maximum relief possible. Our clients can then resume better function with greater range of motion than they had before the injuries occurred or the pain syndrome developed.

The sooner you treat these symptoms the better the results - but certainly consider this treatment prior to surgery!

Site chiseled into being by

Charles Garvey Therapist (MA7678) setwholebodyrehab.com (813) 841-2328 • S.E.T.-Structural Energetic Therapy Originated by Donald McCann: www.structuralenergetictherapy.com

MA7678